


New Life

by Sashataakheru



Series: Strange Magic [12]
Category: Black Sabbath RPS, Electric Light Orchestra RPS, The Move RPS
Genre: Abortion, Addiction, Contracts, Depression, Dominance, Explicit Consent, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mental Illness, Multi, OT7, Obedience, Ownership, Possession, Psychosis, Religious Themes, Rituals, Schizophrenia, Submission, Suicide Attempts, Training, Whipping, caring/personal care, collaring, collaring ceremonies, lifestyle d/s, polybigbang, polyfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-02-05
Updated: 2012-02-05
Packaged: 2017-10-30 15:17:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 37,806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/333139
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sashataakheru/pseuds/Sashataakheru
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Coming into an established polyamorous D/s household, Hugh learns to adjust to his new Dom's requirements as well as navigating all the relationships that exist between the others in the system.</p>
            </blockquote>





	New Life

**Author's Note:**

> ...I hadn't expected Ace to take over as much as he did. But there you go. This fic follows on directly from [Second Time Around](http://archiveofourown.org/works/242863), which sets up the night before when Hugh actually came to the Household for the first time, though I have tried to summarise those events in this fic to make it as stand-alone as possible so reading that previous fic is not necessary unless you want details. 
> 
> This was written for polybigbang round three. [Awesome wallaper done by brynspikess.](http://brynspikess.livejournal.com/262752.html)

Hugh found himself woken just after six in the morning. He hadn't slept nearly long enough, if only because falling asleep had taken him longer than he'd anticipated. He was not used to actually sleeping at night; normally, he'd be awake, making sure he was still alive by the time morning came. He lay in bed, listening to the sounds of the night. It was all far too quiet out there. Too many different sounds he couldn't stop paying attention to, cars and sheep and other strange rural noises he was not used to hearing. Definitely too quiet. 

It had been a strange 24 hours. He had not expected any of this would happen. It had seemed like such a normal day, just like all the others. He had slept fairly decently for once, and had spent a productive day scavenging for food. It was usually easier than begging. which he had grown to hate having to do. His luck had changed, however, as he'd unexpectedly run into his old friend Roy that evening, who had agreed to take him home with him. Not only had he found himself a place to stay, he'd also found himself a new Master. He would've been happy with a bed for as long as possible. That he now wore a Dom's collar, even as a trial run, was more than he could've hoped for.

He knew he was safe. He had accepted that he was safe. He wasn't out in the middle of the city, where anyone could find him and attack him, or arrest him. He didn't have to fight for the best spot to wait out the day. But he was still in a strange house with people he admittedly didn't know very well. He was anxious about how long he would get to stay here with his new Master. Surely it couldn't last. Surely it would just disintegrate like all the others had. He'd had a bad run with Doms, and he was beginning to doubt he'd ever find the right one for him. The only way he could will himself to sleep was to convince himself that worrying about how long he could stay here wasn't worth it, and he should just enjoy it while it lasted. If he only got to stay here a week, he should make sure it was the best damn week of his life.

By the time morning came, and Roy had woken him, he decided he didn't want to leave his bed either. It had been far too long since he'd slept in a nice warm bed like that, but Roy made it clear there'd be punishment if he didn't get up. It wasn't a frightening threat though. It was more a gentle reminder that there were rules that must be obeyed now. The collar around his neck reminded him of that, too. He was bound to a master once more. Obedience and submission were part of the deal. With some reluctance, he got up and dressed, wasting as little time as he could in getting ready to face the day. 

He stood in the middle of his room, gazing around it in awe. He had never been given anything this grand before. It was a large room, with good furniture and lots of light. It was on a corner of the house, giving him double-aspected windows with views across the farm. He didn't have many possessions, admittedly, but he had been given some new clothes and a few other things, which made him feel less like someone who wasn't supposed to be there.

He took it all in. It was all his. That was a strange thing to get his head around. This big room with such lovely views, all the things this room contained, it was all his. It was in the Servants' Quarters, but that didn't bother him in the slightest. His image of servants' quarters was a small room in the back of the house in the basement that looked like a prison cell. This was nothing like that at all. He smiled. 

"You coming, Hugh? Only we're going to be late if we don't get a move on and I'm supposed to show you round before we get down to breakfast," Roy said, interrupting his reverie.

Hugh turned to him. "Well, if this is what the servants' rooms look like, I expect the rest of it will be just as grand. Lead the way."

"Come on, then, this way," Roy said, gesturing for him to follow.

* * *

Hugh hadn't really taken in what the house looked like before, he had other things to worry about, but now he could see the period details all over the place. It was not an ordinary house, and it hadn't been done cheaply either. Everything had been chosen well, and it did not look ostentatious or obnoxious in its furnishings and fittings.

Hugh took it all in passively as Roy showed him around, making sure he knew where everything was. The Servants' Quarters were split between the ground and first floors; sleeping quarters and bathrooms were on the first floor, while the Housekeeper's office, the Butler's office, and the servants' dining area were on the ground floor, buttressing the main kitchen area at the back of the house. The ground floor also contained two reception rooms, a formal dining room, the conservatory, and other private areas.

Their last stop was the Servants' Hall, the dining area where all the submissives in the Household ate their meals together. The Servants' Hall was already full with the rest of the Household by the time they arrived. Hugh had known he and Roy weren't the only submissives in the house, he had been told that the night before, but it was still a surprise to see four other people there, particularly four other people he knew, at least in passing. They weren't strangers after all. That made the total seven, including their Master, that lived in this house. 

Being part of such a big group would take some getting used to. Hugh had only ever served single Doms as a lone submissive. But this was different. As the new boy, he'd have to compete with the others for their Master's attention, as well as get on well with everyone else in the group. How could he be sure he'd be accepted by the rest of the submissives anyway? They all seemed to be quite close, and Hugh felt like a stranger. As he looked around the table, taking in his new family, one man stood out more than the others.

Hugh smiled as he recognised a familiar face, and went over to greet him. "Kelly, what the hell are you doing here? It's great to see you again."

Kelly stood and greeted him warmly, hugging him tight. "It's been too long, my friend. Far too long. What are you even doing here anyway? When did you get here? Did you sneak in during the night?"

"Actually Roy brought me here last night, yeah. I ran in to him while he was out yesterday, and he offered to bring me back here so I had somewhere to stay. I hadn't expected Carl would even offer me a collar, but I'm grateful for it. I had no idea you were here though. Last time I saw you, I was getting kicked out of the band. Now I see you here with a collar around your neck. We need to catch up, yeah? You're the last person I expected to see in a place like this. I want to know the whole story," Hugh said.

"Oh, don't worry, you'll hear about everything that happened, alright. It'll have to wait though. There's no time to catch up now. Come down to the kitchens when you're done this afternoon. I'll tell you all about it. You won’t believe half of it, I swear," Kelly replied. 

"I'll hold you to that," Hugh said as he took his seat next to Roy.

Roy glanced over at him as he began serving himself some breakfast. "You'd better eat up, Hugh. You'll need your strength, given this is your first day. You're not getting a break for a while." 

Hugh wasn't going to do anything else. The food was wonderful, good protein-rich food, and he devoured it eagerly. After so long being homeless, good regular meals were like luxury. It was just beginning to sink in that he was safe, for the moment. He was still trying to convince himself this wasn't all going to end tomorrow and he'd be out on his own again. He had a proper bed to sleep in, and good food to eat. He wouldn't starve here, not if breakfast was anything to go by. He had a master to take care of him. He wouldn't have to worry about someone stealing his things. He wouldn't have to worry about being attacked if he dared to sleep at night. He wouldn't have to worry about anything at all. Slowly, all the anxiety he'd carried around with him out on the streets began to fade away.

He looked about the table as he ate, taking in his new family. Roy and Rick he already knew from several years ago, though he wasn't sure he knew Rick as well as he'd like. The other two, a blond and a dark-haired man sitting together at the end of the table, he did not immediately recognise. He had a feeling he had met them before many years ago, but he couldn't remember their names. If he had felt braver, if they hadn't been eating in silence, he might have asked who they were, but as it was, they finished first and left the rest of them to finish eating on their own. He would just have to ask later. 

Hugh sat back when he was full, watching the rest. It seemed to be an odd arrangement for a Household. He had never heard of a Dom fashioning his subs like an archaic Victorian household, with a hierarchy of servants from a butler to kitchen hands. Servants' Quarters, while old-fashioned, he could understand though. It made sense for a large group to have their own living areas. But he hadn't expected the hierarchy to go with it. 

Hugh ventured conversation now that everyone had finished eating. "So, do you really eat like this every day? This seems too good to eat every day. I never ate this well before I was homeless."

"Yeah, we do. The Master insists on it. It's no trouble, anyway. I'm used to it by now. It's simple enough once you get a routine going. I'm the cook here, in case you hadn't been told," Kelly said.

That jarred in Hugh's head. Of all the places Kelly could've ended up, he ended up here in this house, as the cook. It was hardly how he imagined he'd spend his life. "Yeah? I never would've picked you for that, you know. I didn't know you could cook."

Kelly managed not to look offended. "There's a lot you don't know about me, Hugh. Maybe the Master'll get you down here to help me out. Then you'll see just what I can do. He'll probably train you in everything anyway. It's how we were trained, so we can fill in if needed."

"This is all pretty bloody amazing. I feel like I've woken up in some sort of dream world. I actually slept in a bed last night. Never thought that would happen again," Hugh said. He took a moment to reassure himself there was a collar around his neck. The leather felt comforting as he ran his fingers along the collar. He could feel the comforting pull of subspace, reinforced by the collar. He was eager to embrace it again. "This is all real, isn't it? I've finally got a Master. I was beginning to think it'd never happen."

"You just concentrate on getting used to things around here. If you do a good job, you'll always have a home here. Oh, and the Master wishes to see you first thing, so head up there once you're done. I'm assuming this'll be contracts and such that he'll want you to read over and sign," Roy said.

"If you wait ten minutes, I'll have the Master's breakfast ready. You can go up with Roy," Kelly said.

* * *

Hugh waited patiently for them to prepare the Master's meal. Kneeling out of the way, he took a moment to let himself fall into subspace. If he was going to see the Master again, he should be in the right mindset. One of his old masters, one of the better ones, had once described subspace as a form of meditation, where the submissive learnt to focus only on the master and his orders. Hugh had found that worked on some strange level, and it was easier to fall into subspace when he went about it that way. 

As he sat there in silence, he closed his eyes and just breathed. His collar was a constant reminder of his master's presence, and he knew the moment subspace had settled because he was always much calmer and quieter. His vision narrowed, metaphorically, onto that of his master. All he wanted to do was devote his whole life to his master. 

His meditation was interrupted by Kelly and Roy emerging from the kitchens. Kelly rested a hand on his shoulder and Hugh looked up at him. 

"Time to go. Follow Roy, he'll show you the way," Kelly said.

"Yes, sir," Hugh said as he got to his feet.

* * *

Meekly, he followed Roy up the stairs as they headed to Carl's room. Roy carried their master's breakfast on a tray, ready to present to him. Hugh remained silent, the collar reminding him that he had a master to attend to and serve. There would be no playing up anymore. Subspace was a comforting presence. It willed him into obedience. The desire to play up was gone. The voice in the back of his mind that always said 'yes' had been silenced. 

Hugh kept back as Roy served his master. He knelt by the door, calm and quiet, waiting to be addressed. He sat just outside, as he hadn't been invited in yet. He might not know all the rules in his new Household, but he did remember some of the discipline he'd been taught. He would not be so rude as to walk into his Master's bedroom without being invited first. Subspace made him hold back until his Master addressed him.

As he sat there, he heard some classical music playing softly on the radio, drifting out to greet him. He didn't recognise the piece, but it didn't matter. He could hear the cello part clear as day and his fingers itched to play it. That he didn't have a cello to play hurt hard. He hadn't expected it to wind him as much as it did. He'd sold his last cello six months ago, desperate for money, and it hadn't lasted nearly long enough. He hadn't played since. 

It hadn't seemed like such a long time, but hearing that music again, he suddenly realised just how much he missed it. He really had lost everything. He made his mind up then. The first thing he'd buy when he had enough money was a new bloody cello. Getting rid of his old one was the worst decision he'd ever made, he had regretted it as soon as he'd done it, but it was that or starve, and he'd had enough of starvation to last a lifetime.

"The Master will see you now, Hugh," Roy said.

Hugh looked up to find Roy ushering him inside. He was embarrassed to find himself crying then. Quickly wiping his tears away, he followed Roy in and knelt beside his Master's bed. So focussed on his Master, Hugh didn't notice Roy taking the tray and leaving them alone.

Carl smiled at him cheerfully. "Morning, Hugh. Sleep alright then?"

Hugh bowed his head out of respect, instinctively averting his eyes. "Yes, sir, like a log. I can't quite believe I'm here. This is all real, isn't it? I've got a bed and good food and someone to serve. The only thing I'm missing is my cello. Then life'd be complete. But I can't complain, not really. This is more than I've had for a long time, sir, and I appreciate it. You can't imagine how much I appreciate it, sir."

"What happened to your cello? Did it get so bad you had to part with it?" Carl said.

Hugh nodded, still keeping his eyes down. He had not yet been given permission to look upon him. "Six months ago, sir. Winter was looking pretty rough, and I needed the money for lodgings. No way was I sleeping out in the snow again. It was the last valuable thing I had left. I never should've done it, but what choice did I have? It was this tiny room in the back end of someone's house, or try to make it through another winter. I chose the tiny room, sir. I was kicked out as soon as the money dried up, but it got me through the worst of it. I-I don't really want to talk about that though. I did what I had to do to survive, much as I hate myself for it, sir."

Carl reached over and stroked his hair gently. Hugh leant into his touch, glad for his affection. He hadn't realised until that moment just how much he'd missed just being touched. The men he'd slept with for money had never touched him like that, with affection and love. Hugh wanted to cry again. It had been a long time since he'd felt such affection. It had been a long time since he'd been loved. He had always been the sort of person who needed to be touched and hugged. How he had survived without it, he didn't know.

Carl gestured for him to join him. "Come up here with me. Come on, you're allowed."

Hugh shifted onto the bed beside him. Carl brought an arm around him and held him close. Hugh liked being close to him, and he appreciated that Carl made an effort to touch him and be affectionate. He curled up beside him and sought any love he could get. Carl held him warmly, and Hugh felt protected and safe. If there was one thing about Carl he liked, it was that he seemed to give a damn. That meant a lot after four years on his own. Maybe he'd found the right place for him at last.

"It might not be obvious to you, but you're not the first homeless sub I've taken in. I know you're eager to serve, and more than willing to begin, but I want you to take it a little easy over the next few weeks. If there's one thing I do know it's that sooner or later, the shock'll set in, and I've seen it paralyse. Suddenly, you're living like a normal human being again. All the bad habits you pick up living on the street suddenly aren't needed. It'll take a while to shift your mind back away from that and readjust. It'll take a while to stop being so anxious and paranoid about everything and stop being constantly on the defensive. And that's before we get to any trauma you might have to deal with. I'm going to ease you into our routine here, just to make the shift easier on you. We'll spend the morning together, getting to know each other. I'll get you doing some light duties this afternoon. We'll see how you go from there. How does that sound?" Carl said.

Hugh gazed off into the distance, realising he knew exactly what he was talking about. That was a strange feeling, and not one he had expected. "I'll be honest, sir. If I hadn't felt that shock before, I'd probably just lie and tell you I'd be fine. But I know I'm not really fit to present to the rest of society at the moment. I've just come in from the cold. I still haven't really adjusted to that yet. There are a lot of problems I haven't dealt with because I was out there on my own. Medical stuff too, not just all the things I've been through. It's been a rough four years. I suppose I'm lucky I didn't die out there. I'm not even thirty yet. That would've been embarrassing."

"Don't worry, we'll deal with any medical problems you've got. Every sub has a medical examination when they first come under my roof anyway, so I'm not trying to single you out. We'll go in this week and make sure you're alright. We're a communal system here, we all play with each other to varying degrees, so it's in no one's interests to have anything nasty going about. They're not just my submissives. They're people I love. We all play together. It'd be irresponsible for me not to check out any new members to the group," Carl said.

"I think I'd be surprised if you didn't do that, even though I've only been here one night. If there's one thing I know about you so far, it's that you really seem to care. I don't think I'm worried anymore. I think I can trust you in a way I could never trust Jeff. Maybe that doesn't seem all that big to you, but it is to me. What I had with Jeff wasn't really healthy, I can see that now, but I was too enamoured to realise that at the time. I feel so stupid for staying with him all those years, I know he didn't really treat me well, but I didn't know there was anything better out there until it was too late. I'm glad I know that now," Hugh said.

Carl hugged him and pressed a kiss to his temple. "Look, if you ever need any help, let me know. Even if you just want to talk to someone, even if you're in the middle of your duties, come to me first, alright? And don't hold anything back. I can't help you if you don't tell me what's wrong. That's what I'm here for. I'm here to teach and guide you, help turn you into who you want to be, and that requires openness on both our parts. I'm not asking you to tell me everything right now, sometimes these things need some time to digest before you feel ready to talk about them, but keep that in mind, alright?"

Hugh sighed. "I could tell you everything now if you want. I've had four years to dwell on it. I daresay keeping it to myself now feels a tad redundant. I haven't got anything to hide, and if communication is as important as you say it is, maybe it's better that you know everything now, rather than find out about it later on when something comes up. Then I won't feel like I'm hiding anything from you. I don't want to mess this one up by keeping secrets, so I think this time, I'd rather get it all out of the way now before things begin properly. We're just getting to know each other during this trial. You might as well know what you're getting yourself in for if you take me on permanently."

"Alright, sure, we can work with that if that's what you'd prefer. Why don't you attend to me this morning? Then I'll send for some coffee and we'll head down to the conservatory where it's more comfortable. I'll teach you how to serve me as we go," Carl suggested.

"As you wish, Master. That sounds pretty good to me," Hugh said.

* * *

The first thing they did was go over Hugh's contract. Carl explained everything, told him he could still back out if he wasn't sure, and asked him if the terms were agreeable. Hugh hadn't encountered that before, and read the contract word for word just to make sure there were no nasty surprises. He was pretty sure Carl wasn't the sort of Dom who would do that to him, but he appreciated the fact that Carl bothered to take the time to go through everything with him before he signed his life away. At least he understood the terms of their relationship once he'd read it through, which helped him focus on what their relationship was going to be like and what was expected of him. It was always good to know that.

The contract he'd belatedly drawn up with Jeff hadn't been anywhere near as detailed or as binding, and had not seemed quite as serious as this one was. It had been more like a set of rules and guidelines they both agreed to stick to. But Carl's was different. He liked that. Carl was serious about taking him on and what their relationship would be like, so of course his contracts were just as serious. The prospect scared him, but at least he was sure Carl wasn't just going to leave him out to dry because he wasn't committing to the relationship. This was a lifestyle for them. He would be living with his Dom fulltime. The contract was a binding commitment between them. That prospect excited him immensely.

Carl didn't make him sign it immediately though, even though he wanted to. He told him to take it away so he could consider it on his own. Carl suggested he might talk to the other submissives in the house if he was still suspicious or curious about anything, now that he knew what it contained. He wanted Hugh to make sure it was something he could really live with before committing to it, away from the influence of a Dom who might sway him into signing something he actually didn't want to do. Hugh was sure Carl wasn't like that, but the fact that safeguard was in place comforted him.

There were many safeguards in place, or so it seemed to Hugh. Consent was hugely important to Carl, something Hugh hadn't encountered before. But given most of Hugh's previous relationships with Doms once he'd left Jeff had been more about finding enough food to eat or scoring enough cash to survive, consent was a little lower down on the list of priorities. In an ideal world, sure, Hugh would never have gone with anyone who was willing to coerce consent out of him if he offered him a warm bed and some food. But his life over the past few years had not been ideal, and even though he had been in some quite dubious situations, and probably hadn't, strictly speaking, consented to all of it, it was that or starve, and his desire for food trumped just about everything else. 

But Hugh wasn't living like that anymore. This was a safe house, a proper house, with a Dom who cared about consent. Hugh was pretty sure there was nothing in the contract that he objected to, but he decided he'd at least talk it over with Kelly later on, just for some peace of mind. He knew Kelly, and he trusted him to tell him if he was about to sign his name to anything that wasn't in his best interests. 

After that, his training began. Hugh decided he liked being Carl's personal servant. Carl wasn't too fussy or strict, and it didn't take him long to memorise the routine. He seemed to be able to anticipate what he wanted quite well while making sure to defer to his Master to make sure it was correct. He didn't have as good an eye for fashion as Roy did, but he made up for it in other ways. Then again, Carl wasn't training him specifically to do this task; like Kelly had said, it was just part of his training so that he would know how to perform almost any role within the Household in case he called upon to help out elsewhere.

* * *

They headed down to the kitchens afterwards, and Hugh was surprised to find Kelly absent. Apparently he had another job to go to every so often, adding to the income required to keep the household running properly. Hugh went to make coffee himself, but Carl said he'd make it instead. Staying back out of the way, he watched Carl work. It was a strange feeling, watching his Master preparing the coffee for them. He felt it was really his job, but he said nothing, and when Carl was done, followed him out to the large conservatory that opened out of the formal dining room at the back.

It really was a lovely room. Hugh liked it immediately. With views out over the ground, it had comfortable seats, and a warm brightness to it. It wasn't obsessively furnished, and the pot plants softened the sense that he was in a building and made him think he was out in the garden instead. He liked that. Taking a seat at a small table by the side closest to the garden, Hugh waited for Carl to address him.

"I hope you've been paying attention. I'll ask you to serve me this way if I ask you to serve the coffee. You remember how it was made?" Carl said.

"Yes, sir. I remember. I watched you closely," Hugh replied.

"Good. And the milk?"

"What about the milk?"

Carl showed him the jug of milk, making him test it with a finger. "Gently warm it, just a little, and always pour it in first. You want to take the chill out of it, but not boil it. Don't let it boil; it spoils the flavour. Got it?"

Hugh attempted to memorise the temperature, as if that was the sort of sensation that could be memorised. "Yes, sir, I think so."

Carl smiled encouragingly. "I'll run you through it again, just so you know what to do. I'm not letting you serve coffee to my guests until you've mastered it. Part of your duties will be assisting Kelly in the kitchens, as well as helping out around the house. This'll be something you'll need to know how to do properly. Your service reflects back on me. If you're no good, it says I'm no good either, as I'm the one responsible for your teaching and discipline. Does that make sense to you?"

"Yes, sir, it does. I'll do my best to live up to your standards. You've been so kind to me so far, it wouldn't be right to do otherwise," Hugh said.

Carl reached over and ruffled his hair. "You'll keep. Now, you wanted to tell me everything? Take as long as you need. We've got all morning."

"Of course, sir. I can do that for you," Hugh said, watching him pour the coffee. He sat back as Carl handed him a mug and wondered where he was supposed to begin. There was an awful lot to talk about, and he wasn't sure what to include. "So, where should I start? The beginning?"

Carl glanced at him. "Wherever you like. Of course, I'm interested in everything, but I am particularly interested in your relationship with Jeff. I want to know what happened and why it might've gone wrong. Not just so I can avoid the same mistakes with you, but to get a better idea of what you like and don't like. I'm assuming that was the longest submissive relationship you've had?" 

"Yeah, it was. I had others when I was out on my own, but they weren't the same thing. They were me trying to survive. But Jeff was something else. I think part of the problem was the lack of structure. We didn't come together with contracts and rules. I just told him one night, straight out, that I'd be his willing servant if he'd collar me and keep me from getting into trouble." Hugh shrugged at the memory. "It was a late night. I was drunk. It seemed like a good idea at the time. I didn't think he'd even go for it. I didn't even expect him to remember that I'd said it, but he did. He agreed. I still don't really know why. Neither of us really knew what we were doing though. It'd been a first for me, and I had to teach him about it so he had some idea of how to handle me. I thought I knew what I needed, but I was wrong. 

"But then I found out what it could be like, that there was another way of being a submissive, and that didn't help at all. I wanted to live it fulltime, but Jeff wouldn't agree to it. We nearly broke up. I was so angry and disappointed at his reluctance to commit to me. We tried to fix it though, make some ground rules about how it was going to work, but I think it was all too late by then. I think that's probably why it didn't work. My desires shaped it, and neither of us knew any better. There was no one to correct us because he was too terrified of anyone finding out he was involved in such activities. I was young and stupid, and he was naive, shy, and unsure. Of course it fell to pieces. I don't think his heart was really ever in it, not really, but I doubt he'd have ever admitted it. I don't think he wanted to let me down. It made me behave, which was what he wanted. He wasn't inclined to stop it. But then he did stop it. And, well, the rest is history. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed being with him. He was a good master, when he bothered to try enough to make it work. But he didn't always try. Maybe I should've been more objective, but that's easy to say now. I put up with his shit because it was all I lived for. That's the truth. I thought he was perfect. Turns out he wasn't." 

Hugh sighed and sat back, feeling a little miserable. Carl reached over and took his hand. Hugh appreciated the gesture.

"No one's perfect, Hugh, not even me. We all do stupid things when we're young and still figuring out our place in the world. What kind of things did you do together? How did he Dom you?"

Hugh shrugged. "It was just little things at first. Little tests, like, not using particular words, or playing in a certain way. Only wear yellow. Play everything in 5/8 time. Don't play Gs. Never say anything beginning with J. Always turn right. Things he could test me with. Things like that he knew no one would pay much attention to. I was the one who bought all our gear because he was too scared to be seen in those sort of places. It took me a long time to goad him into playing sexually with me. It took a lot of time to get him to whip me too. He doesn't really have the heart for it, I know that now, but back then, I thought that's what you did. That was part of it all. I kept asking for it until he gave in. Sad thing is, he was really creative about it, he came up with some really amazing scenarios, but it just wasn't him. It wasn't in his nature. He did teach me discipline, but it didn't last when he let me go. I was too angry to care. He was never much of an angel anyway. Neither was I. 

"He was so scared of anyone finding out about it that he used to restrict the times we could play. It'd be to his schedule, or not at all, and I wasn't going without. They were some of the few times we really spent time alone together, just the two of us. I wish we'd talked more though. I don't think I ever really knew him very well, though, not really. He never wanted to let me in as much as I wanted him to. He was good at keeping it away from the personal, so he was just a Dom, and I was just a submissive. But I couldn't do that because it was always Jeff I wanted, not just a nameless Dom. I think he was afraid to really get into it because he was scared of how much he'd like it if he did. He always had trouble admitting he even liked sleeping with me. Had too much shame about it all and I couldn't shift it. That's a hard thing to live with, when the man you love can't admit he enjoys having sex with you because he's got all this internalised guilt he can't get rid of. There were moments when he'd look at me as if I was the most disgusting thing he'd ever seen. He told me once he hated that found it arousing, hated that he found me sexually arousing, but he couldn't stop himself. He gave in and slept with me, even though it disgusted him. I've never felt so humiliated in my life. That's not the sort of thing you want anyone you love to say to you." 

Carl wasn't all that surprised. "Well, he wouldn't be the only one who's got issues like that. It's difficult to live with, but I'm not surprised. Maybe you didn't grow up the same way we did, but you get that shit beaten into you, that it's wrong and shameful to want to be with another man. They think that if they hit you enough, you'll turn straight. For a long time, it was actually illegal. Can you imagine what it's like to grow up in a world where you can't be yourself because it's against the law? They sent us off to psych wards or threw us in jail, sometimes both. They tried to cure us. Many haven't survived, but you'd never know just from looking at their graves. We learnt to hide who we were to avoid getting in trouble. People kill us. They hurt and abuse us. That makes you hide. It makes you hate who you are, and it's so hard to come to terms with that. He grew up with all that just like I did. But you're not old enough to remember that, though, are you?"

Hugh shrugged. He had heard about that, but it didn't seem as frightening as it did to Carl. "Yeah, but London's different to here, though. But maybe I was lucky. As long as I played cello, my parents didn't seem to care what else I was. I always knew, but I never told them. They didn't see me going to gay clubs in London. That's how I got introduced to the scene. I was seventeen, but I lied and said I was older than that. I had a few drinks. A Dom took hold of me and suspended me with rope in the middle of the club in front of all these other men. I had no idea what any of it was, but I liked him, I loved what he did to me, and he taught me well. But he wasn't looking for a sub back then, so he wasn't willing to collar me. I had to find my own master. But that was such an amazing night. I was suspended in the air, with just these ropes and chains stopping me from falling to the ground. I was naked, and they all stood around me. One of 'em dripped hot wax onto my skin. Others just touched me. One hit me with a flogger. I remember one guy just stood behind me and stroked my hair. When he got me down, I was aching and tired, but so blissfully content. I think that's when I realised that was what I was. I was gay, and I wanted to be submissive. I didn't really know til then. That night changed my life." 

"And then you ended up with Jeff, for better or worse. Would you do it all again if he asked? If Jeff came back right now and asked you to come back to him, would you go with him?" Carl said.

Hugh thought a moment before replying. "I honestly don't know. If you'd asked me before last night, maybe. But not now. I don't think he could ever give me what I want now. I still - hate him. I still hate him for throwing me out like that before I was ready to cope on my own. I wasn't ready. There was just no closure, you know? He let me go, and that was the last time I saw him. He left, and I was all alone. Bastard didn't even say goodbye, the prick. But he was too fucking enamoured with that new wife of his to give a shit about me. I would've done anything for him back then, but he wouldn't hear a word of it. Undoing that collar was the hardest thing I've ever done. He told me to go, that he never wanted to see me again. Well, fuck you too, Jeff. Fuck you, too."

* * *

Hugh didn't see Kelly until after dinner. He'd spent the morning with Carl, and the afternoon with Rick, learning the routine of tasks he'd have to do every day. It hadn't been all that challenging, but he was determined to do a good job, and that meant doing everything as perfectly as he could. He liked Rick, too, and it was nice to rekindle an old friendship that hadn't lasted nearly long enough the first time round. 

He was thankful he had free time after dinner, and went straight to the kitchens to see Kelly once dinner was over. They had a lot to talk about, and Hugh was keen to catch up with him properly, now that he had a couple of hours to himself. 

"If you're going to hang around for more than five minutes, you can help out," Kelly said as he saw him enter. "Go on, go clear the table. That's the least you can do."

"I thought that was your job, not mine?" Hugh said with a smile as he obediently went back to the dining room to help.

Hugh hadn't expected it to take nearly an hour to finish cleaning up, but he was dead tired by the end of it. The time had passed more quickly as they chatted, catching up with each other's lives. It was distraction enough, and by the end of it, Hugh wasn't sure who had actually had the worse run of luck. Perhaps he had, he had been homeless and lost everything, after all. But he tried not to let it get to him. Once they were done, Kelly made him some tea and they retired to the conservatory to talk. Hugh decided that seeing Kelly there was as strange as it was comforting.

"You really are the last person I expected to find here, you know. I didn't think you were into this at all. What happened?" Hugh said.

Kelly shrugged and sat back. "Jeff screwed me over, that's what happened. Such a fucking tight-arse. Mate, you were lucky you got out when you did. You didn't have to see what else happened. I tell ya, man, it all went to shit once you guys left. It was all downhill from there. I don't think it'll last much longer, that's for sure. I don't know if Bev's even talking to him these days. I wouldn't be surprised if he wasn't. But he'll be off touring with Black Sabbath now, last time I heard. Jeff lost a lot of mates for what he did to me, and I'm not sure he's realised that yet. I'm trying to be alright about it, but I'm still bitter. It still hurts. Every penny I got from him went into the Household. I'd trust Carl with my life. Jeff can get fucked."

"At least you had this place to run to when it all came to an end. You came out of it richer than me. You didn't waste everything away like I did. I sold my cello, Kelly. I had to sell 'em all. It got so bad I had to sell my cellos. What I wouldn't give to be able to play again," Hugh said.

"Talk to Carl. Maybe he'll be willing to help you out? You never know. Maybe he'd help with paying for one, if you saved up enough of your allowance. It'd be great to play together again. We could jam again. We do play together from time to time, everyone in the Household. It's not really a band, but we're all musicians. We've got a music room and everything. Like we could stop playing like it didn't matter. You interested?" Kelly said.

Hugh leant forward. "Yeah, I'm interested. I'll go talk to Carl. Maybe not now, though, but- it's still weird to see you here, you know, wearing a collar like that. I never thought you were into all this too. I know too many people in this scene now. If anyone else from the band turns up here, I don't think I'd even be surprised."

"It wasn't my thing, not at first. I'd never considered this sort of lifestyle before. But I ran into Carl in a pub in London a couple of years ago, and he talked me into coming round and trying it out. I was angry enough at Jeff, for some reason I can't remember anymore, to say yes. So he took me back to his place and we played together. It's weird. I thought I'd hate it, that I'd never get used to it. But it's weirdly cathartic. I only started living here fulltime in January. Before that it was just whenever I was in town because I was still involved with the band. It's been better than I expected. He's helped me come to terms with everything. I didn't know I needed that. I wasn't sure what I'd get out of it, but Carl's a good bloke. Knows what he's doing. I think you'll like it here."

"I think I will too," Hugh agreed.

* * *

They'd talked for a while longer before Hugh brought up his contract. He didn't really have any concerns, but he appreciated Kelly's reassurance that it was all legit and there was nothing suspect in it. It might've taken Kelly a week and a half to finally sign his contract, but he was reassured it was all legit. Kelly had been burnt by contracts before and he wasn't going to let Carl screw him over. Hugh appreciated his honestly about that. Hearing what had happened between him and Jeff had just made him happy that they were both out of there. Jeff had done neither of them any good. They were better off without him. After he'd left Kelly for the night, he went to speak to Carl, like Kelly suggested. He found Carl in the library with Roy. 

"Master, can we talk? I've got a few things I wanted to ask you, sir," Hugh said as he stood in the doorway.

Carl looked up from what he was reading and gestured for him to enter. "Sure, come in. Give us a minute, Roy. I'll be up once we're done."

"Yes, sir," Roy replied. He bowed as he left them alone, closing the door behind him.

Carl moved to the sofa in the middle of the room, and Hugh followed, taking a seat beside him. Hugh wanted to move close to him, but he respectfully kept his distance until he was invited.

"So, what did you want to talk about? Had a chance to think about that contract at all?" Carl said.

"Yes, sir. I've been discussing it with Kelly. I trust him. I wasn't really worried about it, but you're right, it helped to talk it over with him, just so I was sure there was nothing in there I didn't want. It's more generous than I had expected, sir, and I'm grateful for that. Can I sign it now? Or do you want me to wait?" Hugh said.

"If you're sure, go ahead and sign it. You've got it with you?" Carl said.

Hugh pulled it out of his back pocket and unfolded it. "Sorry it's a bit creased."

Carl found a pen in a drawer underneath the coffee table and took the contract from him, flicking through it as he signed and dated it. "There you go, just add your signature next to mine, and it's done."

Hugh skim-read it one more time, and signed it where Carl indicated. He felt safe now that he had a contract. He sat back and wondered if now was the right moment to bring up the possibility of buying a new cello.

"Welcome to the family, Hugh. I've got a good feeling about this," Carl said as he tucked the folded contract into his jacket pocket to file away later. "So, was there anything else you wanted to talk about?"

"Yes, sir, there is. I'd really like a new cello, sir, but I know they're expensive, and I wouldn't want to ask you to spend that much on me, not when we're just getting to know each other, sir. But if I saved up enough, would you be willing to take me down to London so I can get a new one? Only I miss having one, sir, and I'd really like to get another cello. But I know it's not really a priority, though, sir, so if you say no, I'll accept it, and-"

Carl interrupted him. "It's alright, Hugh. It's no trouble. We can work towards that, sure. I'll make you a deal, alright? If you do well during this first month, commit to all your tasks and training and don't get in trouble, I'll take you down to London and we'll get you a cello. How does that sound?"

Hugh sat up, not expecting such a generous offer. "That sounds great, sir. I'd really appreciate that. I'll be the perfect submissive, just you wait and see. I'll prove I deserve that cello."

"Just work hard and get used to how things are done around here and you should be fine. I'll take you down to the music room this week as well. It's got a small studio along with room for all of us to play together. Roy spends a lot of time in there making music. I think he's recorded about seven different albums since we got here. I can't remember if he's sold any though. Out of interest, can you play anything other than cello?" Carl said.

"Just piano, and very shoddy piano at that. It's been too long since I played. It's harder to cart a piano round the streets than a cello. I'd rather wait for a cello, sir, if you don’t mind," Hugh said.

"That's fine with me. Come here, let's just spend a moment together before bed. It's Roy's night tonight, so I can't keep him waiting, but you deserve some love too," Carl said, bringing him close.

Hugh loved being in his arms, and Carl kissed him gently, a hand running through his hair. There was no insincerity in his actions, and if Hugh had been worried he would be neglected in such a large Household, Carl reassured him that wouldn’t be the case. They didn't have sex, it wasn't the right time for that, but they did spend some time exploring each other, getting used to what each other liked. How each other felt.

Hugh appreciated their time together, even though it was short. Carl promised they'd have a night together soon enough, where Carl would come and sleep with him in his own bed. The idea of his Master sharing his bed, and not the other way around, was more than a little surprising, but he liked the idea, and he looked forward to that night. 

Carl sent him off to bed soon enough though. Hugh didn't mind. He went to bed happy that evening. He would work as hard as he could to earn that cello back, of that he was certain.

* * *

Hugh was woken around 4am by the sound of someone's voice close by him. It took him a while to wake, he wasn't sure why he'd been woken by it either because the voice was quite soft, and as he sat up, he switched on the bedside lamp to find the blond-haired man kneeling beside his bed. He seemed to be praying, though Hugh could not understand what he was saying. Hugh tried to get his attention, but the man did not turn to him until he'd finished. Looking at him, he smiled happily and reached for Hugh's hand. 

"Oh, 'm sorry if I woke you. I was just - I wanted to see me Angel. I knew you'd come. He said he'd send an Angel to me, y'see. Which one are you? What's your name? Are you one of the Archangels? I haven't had an Archangel before, just the ordinary ones," he said softly.

Hugh looked at him, confused. "I'm Hugh, and last time I checked, I wasn't an Angel. Who are you anyway? I don't think we've met."

He sat up. "Oh! I'm Ace. I'm sorry for not introducing meself. I thought He would've told you me name. Y'don't mind me being here, do you? I just wanted to see your face. He said you'd save me, so I wanted to see who you were. You will save me, won't you?"

Hugh wasn't sure what he was talking about. "Save you? Save you from what?" 

Ace clambered onto the bed and leant over him awkwardly as he whispered in his ear. He spoke too fast and, still half-asleep, Hugh couldn't understand what he was on about. It slowly dawned on him who he was, but he didn't know if this was just how he was, or if there was something wrong with him. He hadn't known him well enough back then to know the difference. As Ace finished, he sat back, straddling Hugh's body. He reached for Hugh's hand again, their fingers intertwined.

"That's why you need to save me, Angel. I'm sorry if I broke in, Angel. I won't do that again. But I just needed to see you. I need my Angels with me. They're the ones that save me," Ace said.

Hugh found himself yawning as he shifted in bed, trying to get comfortable. "I don't mind, but I'd really like to get some sleep, if that's not too much trouble. It's four in the morning, Ace. I've gotta get up in a coupla hours. Not that I'm not pleased to meet you, but can we talk tomorrow when it's, you know, daylight?" 

Ace leant over and kissed his cheek softly. "Of course, Angel. We'll talk tomorrow. Sleep well, Angel."

Hugh watched him get up and bow to him reverently. "Yep, sounds good to me. Also, the name's Hugh. Call me Hugh, alright?"

Ace bowed again. "Yes, of course, Angel. Hugh. Hugh Angel. Tomorrow, Angel. We'll talk then."

He left then, and Hugh sat there, confused. He wasn't entirely sure what to make of what had just happened, but if Ace wanted to call him an angel, well, that was his decision. He had really only met Ace a few times in passing, and never really talked to him. He felt that was the longest conversation they'd ever had. 

He'd heard from Roy and Bev that he hadn't been well during the past decade or so, but that was about all he knew about him. They'd never been more than acquaintances. Hugh had come up from London right at the end when things were falling apart. He'd been too late to see him back in his prime. 

Seeing him again, he wasn't sure what to make of him. He looked different to how he remembered. Older, certainly, but there was something else Hugh couldn't work out. There was just something… 

He decided to let it go. In the interests of getting enough sleep before the morning came, he decided to just leave it for the moment and go back to sleep. His bed was comfortable and warm, anyway. He would tell Carl about what had happened later. Switching the lamp off, he settled down again, closing his eyes to the dark room.

* * *

It was Hugh's night a few days later. Hugh was nervous, and spent his free time tidying his room. He wanted it to be perfect for them, as he was hosting his master tonight, not the other way around. It would be the first time they would be intimate together, and Hugh wanted it to go well. Roy watched calmly from the doorway, trying to reassure him everything would be fine. 

"So what happens? Why does he do this anyway?" Hugh said as he straightened the duvet for the fifteenth time. 

Roy looked non-committal. "It's different for everyone. I don't know what he does with the rest of the Household, either. We don't usually talk about that, nor what we do in the dungeon sessions. We might be an open system, but some things are just between the Dom and his sub. These are things that are not to be shared with everyone else."

"Oh, so you don't share that sort of thing? I thought you would. But if it's not to be shared, I won't share it," Hugh said.

"It's not that it's forbidden, Carl has never said we can't talk about it, but this is a night just for the two of you. It's not for the whole system, so there's no point in sharing it. I find it dispels the magic. I like having memories of those nights that no one else knows about. Makes it special, you know? It's not a secret, it's just special. It's just for you. It probably wouldn't mean anything to me if you told me what you'd done together," Roy said.

Hugh considered his words. "That makes sense, I suppose. So is it just sex then? Or is it just whatever else we want to do? I don't really get that, but the way Carl was talking made it seem like sex, so I was just wondering if- you know."

Roy hesitated a moment before answering. "Sure, sometimes it's sex, and that's really great, but it isn't always. Sometimes we just talk, or we do other things. It depends on what you want to do. What you like doing. Same with the dungeon sessions. My kinks aren't your kinks, and he works with that. But these nights together are special. He sleeps beside me that night, and even if he's just holding me, just with his arms around me, that's why it's special. You'll have your Dom by your side all night, just being together. I mean, you lose your free time after dinner, but you're spending that time with your Dom, so it doesn't matter."

"After dinner, hey? Well, I think I can wait til then. I didn't even know this sort of thing happened til I saw you two in the library a few nights ago. Carl mentioned it was your night, you see," Hugh said.

Roy blushed a little. "Oh. I didn't know he'd mentioned that. It isn't normally announced. It's not a public thing. I know the roster because I have to know everything that goes on here, but that's about it. I don't know anything else that happens. It's private time. But we all know when it's our night, and after dinner, we go off with Carl. I like to spend a bit of time in the library before we go to bed, but not everyone does that."

Hugh glanced over at him. "Oh, right. Private time, hey? I can understand that. It's going to be alright, isn't it? Only I've never had a Dom that ran things quite like this before, and I'm still worried about messing it all up and finding myself with nowhere to go but back to the streets. He's got higher standards, and there are so many rules. But I want this to work, so I don't want to mess things up. I haven't quite settled down yet. I'm still half-convinced this will all end in tears next week and it'll all be over. He'll kick me out and I'll be left with nothing."

"I wouldn't worry about all that. He likes you. From what I've heard, Ace likes you too. I doubt you could possibly mess up badly enough to make him throw you out, not if you stick to what he's teaching you and do as you're told. Just relax and enjoy the time together, alright? You might want to go shower now, if you were going to do so before dinner."

Hugh surveyed the tidy room one last time. "Yeah, I suppose you're right. But I don't think I'll settle til this trial is over. Then I'll know if I'm staying for good or not."

"You want some advice? Don't worry about that. Don't worry about staying or leaving. There's no point to that. You'll have enough to learn and adjust to without adding that to the mix as well. Just concentrate on learning the rules here and leave the rest to Carl. I would be very surprised if he didn't offer you a collar at the end of the trial though. Take that as some security, alright?" Roy said.

Hugh nodded at that. It was comforting to know Roy thought he was going to stay for good. He took a moment to settle his nerves before leaving to shower. He didn't have much time before dinner, so there was no time to indulge, but it was better than nothing. With a moment to spare, he hurried after Roy as he called him down to dinner, pushing aside his anxiety about what would happen afterwards.

* * *

Carl came for him after dinner. Hugh had been talking with Kelly again, catching up on what had happened since they'd last met. In the middle of hearing about the last tour, Carl approached them, and Hugh remembered why. His nerves came back again and he tried not to let them show.

"You coming, Hugh?" Carl said, coming up beside him.

"Oh, is it your turn tonight? Lucky bastard," Kelly said.

"Yeah, it's Hugh's night tonight. Since it's his first time, he'll have breakfast with me tomorrow, alright?" Carl said.

"As you wish, sir. I'll make a note of that and let Roy know," Kelly said.

"Good man. Come on, Hugh. The rest of the night belongs to us," Carl said.

Hugh smiled as Carl wrapped an arm around his waist and led him away from the dining hall. He was excited about having Carl all to himself as much as he was nervous about hosting his master for the night. 

"Don't you worry about a thing, alright? Now what did you want to do tonight?" Carl said as they walked.

"Honestly, I'd just like to be with you, if that's not too much to ask. I hadn't really thought of anything more than that," Hugh confessed.

"How about we go up to your room then? We can just talk in there if you like. It'll just be the two of us. There are no rules, no expectations, nothing you have to do. It's just time for us, alright? How does that sound?" Carl said.

"That sounds great, sir, it really does," Hugh said.

* * *

It was less awkward than Hugh thought it might be. Certainly Hugh liked being in his company, and Carl did his best to make him feel at ease. There were no expectations from this night. There was nothing Hugh had to do except spend time with his master.

"Nice to see you keeping the place tidy," Carl commented as Hugh shut the door behind them.

"I keep it neat for you, sir. I hope it's tidy enough. I was a bit worried-" Hugh paused a moment. "But Roy said it was fine so I tried not to worry too much. I've never heard of this before, of you wanting to spend time in my room, sir, and not the other way around. I don't understand it."

"You aren't a slave or a servant. You're my submissive, and you're my lover. This isn't a relationship that is just about sex, nor about you obeying my every command without any ability to say no. It's much deeper than that. I don't come to you tonight as some sort of privilege or reward. I don't come with any obligations. I come to you as a man, as someone you love, so we can be together. That's all it is. It's the best way we've found to manage all the different relationships in the Household so that no one feels left out. You all have your own time with me, on our own, in your own space. Do you understand why I do this now?" Carl said.

Hugh went to answer, but he paused as Carl reached over and removed his collar. It felt strange not to wear it, but he understood the symbolism well enough. "We're just two people, that's all, right? No collars, no rules, nothing at all. Just us."

"No collars, unless you want it. I just thought you might appreciate a few hours without my authority clinging to your neck. I don't want this time to be dragged down by obligation when there is none, so the collar isn't important. It isn't needed. I don't come to you as your Dom, I just come as your lover. I come as a friend. You don't have to be in subspace here. You can talk as freely as you like," Carl said.

"Then you'd better get me out of subspace, sir, hadn't you?" Hugh replied with a small grin.

Carl grinned and pulled him into a kiss. Hugh remained passive as Carl began touching him. His subspace was still powerful enough to keep him subdued while his master ran his fingers through his hair and slowly undid the buttons on his shirt. 

What really jolted him out of subspace was Carl murmuring against his skin as he nuzzled his neck. Hugh almost hadn't heard him properly, but before he could ask him, Carl repeated what he'd said.

"Permission to kiss every inch of your body, Hugh?" 

That was unexpected. Most people had never bothered to ask his permission to do anything. Carl asking his permission to do something to him sent a strange wave of pleasure through his body. He nodded, incoherent, as Carl's hands slipped down his chest, teasing him endlessly. 

Subspace had definitely retreated by the time Carl was done with him. They hadn't so much had sex as almost but not quite gone that far. Carl had sucked him off again. Hugh hadn't even noticed that Carl had ignored his own need for pleasure as he lay there happy and warm. As he looked over at him, he noticed he was still hard and reached for him, wishing to finish the job.

"Can't be fair that you don't get anything out of this," Hugh murmured.

"You don't have to, you know. No obligations, remember?" Carl said.

"Shut up, Charlie. That cock looks too good to leave alone. I wanna taste you again. Besides, how am I supposed to get better if I don't practice?" Hugh said as he shifted to get a better hold of him as he went down on him.

Carl did almost stop him, but Hugh was right. It couldn't hurt to practice, and he did need some more tutoring. But it wasn't so much a lesson as Hugh doing his best while Carl occasionally interrupted to tell him what he preferred him doing. Hugh picked up on his desires quickly, making sure he was doing things properly. He didn't want to disappoint him, even though there were no obligations. Hugh actually felt that was better. He could make mistakes and learn from them without consequence. 

He'd always enjoyed sucking cock anyway. It was a deeply satisfying thing to do, and it had earnt him money when nothing else had. A few quid here and there meant the difference between starving and a cheap meal. But Hugh had always liked showing off. He wasn't easily humiliated. He was better suited to the work than some. He had no shame about what he'd done, and he'd do it again if it came to that. He liked the danger as much as the money. As much as the pleasure it brought from doing something so illicit in public. 

But they weren't in public then. They were in the deep privacy of his room in a semi-isolated country property. It was unlikely they would be observed. They lay together once they were done. Carl held him close, gently stroking his hair. Hugh needed Carl's affection and his reassurance that he was doing alright. Part of him was still scared it would all end tomorrow.

"You need to relax, Hugh. My standards aren't impossible. I'm not the sort of master who looks for reasons to punish. I prefer building than destroying. If I punish you, you know you've deserved it, and I don't do it lightly. I'd rather use other ways of teaching than going straight for punishment. I find it just breeds resentment, and that's not healthy for a system like ours. Like jealously, resentment can ruin things here," Carl said.

Hugh glanced up at him a moment, trying to read his expression. "So what would get me punished then? I know you kind of talked about it before when we went over the contract, but it's still not clear to me. I've lived with Doms who do punish quite frequently. I'm still a bit skittish about it. I remember one who was so anxious for obedience I spent the month walking on eggshells around him, just so I didn't piss him off. He could belt someone to death if he wanted to. He wasn't someone I wanted to anger."

"I reserve punishment for the most grievous of circumstances. I find almost every situation of disobedience can be resolved with other means. Punishment is not necessary. I have a lot of power over you, and I don't want to abuse it by just punishing you for the sake of it, or because it's the only way I know of disciplining a disobedient submissive. It's too punitive, it's too easy, and when punishment is common, I find it breeds an air of fear and unease. I've seen it in other households. They become like kicked puppies, too afraid to do anything for fear of being hurt or shamed. That's not discipline. That's not being a Dom. That's abuse. I was taught to be better than that. I don't want to have a sub who's afraid of me. I'm not that sort of Dom. I don't want to be that sort of Dom. So I've got other ways of dealing with these things that I think are a lot better than just resorting to punishment all the time," Carl said.

"What if a sub wanted it though? What if I needed that sort of thing, to be punished like that when I messed up? Would you do it then? If I needed that sort of corrective training, would you do it? Or would you deal with it in other ways? Sorry for all the questions, but I'm curious. I want to know how you work," Hugh asked.

Carl smiled as he glanced at him. "I'm a better judge of what you need than you are. That's my role. If you came to me and said you needed punishment to really do well with your training, I'd probably ask you why you felt you really needed it. I ask a lot of questions of my subs. I make them look inside themselves and see who they really are and how they can be better. I don't think I'm like any Dom you've ever been with before. I do things very differently, as you've probably worked out by now. I'm interested in making you a better person, not in having a frightened slave kneeling at my feet. That's easy. Being an abusive bastard is easy. You just hit someone til they learn to fear you, then make them do what you want. You hit them if they don't obey. That's the easy way. But it does nothing constructive for either Dom or sub. My way is harder. Some subs didn't want it, which is why they didn't stay long. If you're just into the bondage play, I'm not the Dom for you. But if you want something more, I think we can make this work. You've had a rough few years. Let me look after you for a while. If you hate it after the trial, and it's not working for you, you're free to leave. But don't judge my methods after only a week. It'll take a month or two before you really begin to see what I do, which is why I only offer three month trials. That's how long it takes for someone to properly evaluate whether I'm the right Dom for them."

"You sound like a shrink, the way you're describing it. But maybe you're right. Maybe it's too soon to be judging your methods. I trust you, at any rate. I could still have a job here if it doesn't work out, right? Because I'm not sure what else I'd do if I had to leave here. I don't want to feel like I have to stay here because there's nowhere else to go. I know you said you'd help me if I needed it. You would, wouldn't you?" Hugh said.

"Of course I'd help you out. If you wanted to stay here, you'd be welcome to a job on the farm. A proper job with accommodation and food. Everything you could want. If you wanted something other than the farm, I'll do my best to help you in any way I can. You haven't got anywhere to go if you left. I wouldn't be so cruel as to just let you go without making sure you had somewhere safe to live and some way of surviving. That'd be irresponsible," Carl said.

Hugh sat up and looked down at him, studying his face. "You really do care, don't you?"

Carl looked back at him and smiled. "Yeah, I do."

"Yeah, I can see it in your eyes. There's no cruelty there. I still don't know why I find that so strange," Hugh said.

Carl reached for his arm and Hugh lay back down beside him, settling into his embrace. Carl pulled the duvet close around them, and turned to him, pulling him into a kiss. It was the answer Hugh needed, and they settled down for the night, locked in each other's arms. Hugh had never felt so loved before. No Dom had ever showed him this much care and love. His fears were beginning to fade at last.

* * *

As his training began in earnest, Hugh paid close attention to everything Carl taught him, making sure he was learning everything correctly. He filled a small notebook with notes about Carl's instructions, just so he didn't forget them. He had tried to get on without it at first, but there were an awful lot of rules and procedures to remember, and he discovered that writing down what he'd learnt every evening helped him remember. He wanted to prove himself, he wanted to earn that cello, and he didn't want to get in trouble, so he was determined to remember everything he was being taught. He liked living with Carl and he wasn't about to jeopardise his good fortune in finding such a good Dom who was willing to take him on.

In spite of their promise to talk, Hugh hadn't seen much of Ace though. His routine with Carl was too strict, and he was too busy getting used to everything. He did see him at dinner, and occasionally at lunch, but they didn't talk. Ace seemed to spend most of his time with Trevor, the other man he'd seen that first morning but hadn't recognised. Trevor mostly managed the working farm from what Hugh had observed. Hugh decided not to pursue a relationship with Ace if he didn't seem open to him, and he was willing to leave him alone if that's what he wanted. He didn't want to upset the Household. At least Ace hadn't snuck into his room again. He had discussed that incident with Carl, but Carl had told him not to worry about it. It was just how he was. Hugh let it rest. Maybe he'd get to know Ace properly later on, maybe once he'd settled into the Household properly.

Carl did make good on his promise, though. After that first month, once he was satisfied Hugh was progressing well enough with his training, he took him down to London to buy a new cello. He was so proud of that. He'd earnt that cello good and proper. It made all his hard work worth it. It had been one of the best days in recent years, and Hugh had never been so happy to play with the rest of the Household down in the music room late into the night.

That first month seemed to go on forever. Hugh wasn't sure why that was. Every day seemed to go very fast, and he was always tired by bedtime. And yet, everything seemed to drag on unnecessarily. Hugh thought this might've been because Carl still hadn't played with him down in the dungeon yet. It was all training and instruction. Hugh didn't even mind that either, he quite liked the way Carl taught him and he was surprised by how much it clicked with him. He was determined to do a good job, too, and earn his place in this Household. But if he was honest, he had to stop himself a few times from touching himself. Pleasure was the master's to give and take as it pleased him, not for the sub to take for himself. At least, it was not the sub's to take without permission, and he didn't have permission. Subspace enforced his obedience.

The lack of sexual pleasure had not been a big problem. The nights he'd spent with Carl had been more than enough to keep him satisfied, even though they didn't do much yet as they got to know each other, and they hadn't had sex yet. It proved more difficult to cope with when he'd noticed Kelly making advances. He wasn't sure why. Maybe it was just because they were friends. Certainly Kelly was the one he knew best within the Household. Apart from Rick and Roy, the others he'd only ever known in passing. 

Hugh rejected Kelly at first, not willing to be with anyone other than Carl. He felt it was against the rules to get together with someone else who wasn't his Master. But he couldn't deny him, not forever. Kelly's infectious nature was far too hard to resist, and Hugh fell hard. 

He tried desperately to ensure Carl wouldn't find out, but it was a bit hard to deny when Carl caught them together in the conservatory after dinner one night. Hugh could only count in his favour the fact that they hadn't actually consummated anything between them yet. They'd only been sharing kisses in the shadows when no one was watching. They'd just been kissing by a window, trying to be discrete, but they'd been seen. Carl gently pulled him away and Hugh stood there, head bowed in shame.

"What's going on here? Is your heart wandering, Hugh?" Carl said.

"Sir, I think he's a bit starved for attention. Unless he's fallen for me, in which case the man has impeccable taste," Kelly said with a grin.

Carl looked at his new sub. "Hugh? What's going on here? Don't be afraid, you're not in trouble, just tell me what's going on." 

Hugh looked up at him, feeling guilty and ashamed for being with someone else. He waited for his punishment to be announced, even though Carl had said he wasn't in trouble. He wasn't sure he believed him. "Sir, I'm sorry, but may I pursue a relationship with him? I didn't mean to wander, but I love him. I love you too, of course, but-" He stopped, unsure how to continue. "I will let him go if that is what you'd prefer, sir."

"Surely you know by now that you're allowed to have other relationships. I've told you that before. We're not monogamous here, and there are many different relationships between everyone in the system, either romantic, sexual, or just friendships. All I ask is that, as your Dom, I come first. If you're interested in pursuing something with Kelly, I'm not going to stop you. But if he ever starts to come first, you need to let me know. I'm always the first in your heart, alright? Remember that. This can be a hard environment to get used to. Not everyone is used to being in a non-monogamous relationship that involves more than one person like this, and jealousy can be hard to deal with. It's not for everyone, but if you think you're ready to handle relationships with both of us, go ahead. I think the only way you'll know if it's for you is if you try. Do let me know what's going on though. I want to make sure you're able to handle this. Does that sound reasonable?" Carl said.

"Yes, sir, that sounds reasonable. I'll let you know what's going on, sir," Hugh said.

Carl let go of him and smiled at him. "Don't look so chastened, Hugh. You've done nothing wrong. There are all sorts of relationships in this house, and I'm happy to encourage that. I don't forbid you falling for anyone else, as long as I come first. If you find yourself in a position where you can't do that, you need to come and see me so we can talk it out, alright?"

Hugh managed a smile, though he still felt like he was in trouble. "Yeah, I will. Thank you, sir."

"Relax, Hugh, and enjoy it. I think Kelly'd be good for you. Now go on, get out of here. I'll see you tomorrow," Carl said.

Left alone, Hugh watched his master go. He was unsure how to feel, but he had no time to think about it as Kelly grabbed his arm and pulled him into a kiss. Kelly was keen, and Hugh responded to his touch. Having someone touching him again, sexually touching him, just spurred him on. Just as Hugh was about to start undressing him, Kelly stopped him.

"No, no, not here. Come with me. I've got a much better place," he said with a grin. Before Hugh could stop him, Kelly took his hand and led him out into the gardens.

* * *

Hugh hadn't had a lot of time to explore the extensive gardens, and in the twilight, the features were quickly succumbing to the darkness. Kelly seemed to know where he was going, and Hugh could only follow as he was led down past the flowers and the vegetable garden to the summer house at the end. 

The summer house wasn't very big, but Hugh felt it would've felt too exposed if it had been any bigger. Kelly lit the pair of lamps flanking the entrance before lighting the lamps inside the summer house. The orange glow made shadows dance across the walls. 

Hugh looked around. "This is it, hey?"

Kelly pulled him close, his hands on his hips. "It's special, this place. It's the only place on the estate where we can be equals. Carl set it aside so that for those of us who form relationships amongst ourselves, we have somewhere to go to be alone. It's a neutral space outside of the Household. Carl isn't the boss in here. Do you like it?"

Hugh gazed around, taking in the small room. There wasn't a lot there. It was sparsely furnished, but comfortable. There were plenty of cushions though, opaque curtains covering the windows to give them some privacy, and there was a bed and a hammock there too. There was a small fireplace on one wall that was more than sufficient to heat the house. Kelly showed him some sex toys hidden away in a wooden chest against one of the walls. Hugh didn't have time to notice anything else before Kelly pulled him into a kiss. Hugh was surprised by his gentleness. 

"You can take your collar off too, if you like. He won't mind," Kelly said, unbuckling his own. He set it aside, forgetting for a moment that they were bonded to a master.

"Oh, right. I never would've thought to do that," Hugh said. Unbuckling it felt strange, but it felt stranger to be wearing a collar when Kelly wasn't, so he took it off and left it with Kelly's.

Kelly reached up and cupped his cheek. "We can be ourselves here. We can say whatever we like. The lamps outside mean it's occupied, so we won't be disturbed. I like it here because it's a place outside the Household. Don't get me wrong, I love serving there, and I'd never change it for the world, but sometimes it's nice to just be normal for a while. Talk like old mates again and catch up."

Hugh winced, understanding what he meant by his last comment. "Can we not talk about Jeff for one night? I'm not going to let him ruin this for me," Hugh said. "He was a bastard. What else needs to be said?"

"Absolutely nothing. You know, it's nice you turned up here at last. I always wanted to make a move on you, but bloody Jeff was always in the way, but then you left and I couldn't find you. But I've got you all to myself now. Are you gonna let me love you properly?" Kelly said.

Hugh brought him close and kissed him. "I want nothing more than that. Make me feel loved again. I miss that feeling so much."

Being with Kelly was unlike anything Hugh could have imagined. They lay there together on the bed, taking it slowly. Kelly was actually making love to him. Hugh still wasn't used to it, nor to the realisation that two people actually loved him. It was a strange feeling, but one he never wanted to be without, not now. 

They didn't move from the bed. They had sex slowly and languidly, taking their time. It may have lasted hours. Hugh wouldn't have cared if it had. He had come to focus so intently on Kelly and what was happening between them that nothing else mattered. Nothing else came into his consciousness. Everything was about him, Kelly, and the pleasure and love they were building between them. Hugh was more than ready to come by the time Kelly was done with him. 

They talked afterwards. In spite of Hugh's protestations that he didn't want to talk about Jeff, he found it cathartic to talk to Kelly and hear about everything that had happened once he'd left. Kelly understood in a way that no one else in the Household did. They hadn't been there. They wouldn't have understood. But Kelly knew. Kelly was there. He had been there the day he'd been kicked out. He'd seen him give up Jeff's collar. Hugh hadn't realised how much of a comfort that was until that moment. He didn't have to lie about it anymore.

There was something about the privacy, and the intimacy, of the summer house, that made their discussions much more honest than they had been before. Even though they had talked about what had happened before, Hugh had always been reluctant to divulge some of the more intimate details, and he could tell Kelly had been holding back as well. But out there, where no one else could hear them, that was the time for secrets. That was the time to reveal everything and leave nothing unsaid.

By the time they returned to the house, collars once again around their necks, it was very late. Hugh didn't want to leave him, but it was already past ten o'clock, and he would need to go straight to bed if he was going to get enough sleep before he had to get up and start work the next morning. They shared one last kiss and parted ways. Hugh fell into bed, relaxed and happy.

* * *

Hugh came down to dinner a week later and found a glorious feast awaiting them. Everyone was there, including Bev, Hugh noticed, but he didn't have time to ask questions or talk to him before he was invited to take his seat beside Rick. He hadn't seen Bev for years, not since he'd left the band, and he hadn't expected to see him there, He particularly hadn't expected to see him wearing a small padlocked chain around his neck. It might not be a proper collar, but he understood its significance well enough. Bev had a master of his own, if he didn't belong to Carl. He wasn't sure how to feel about that. He had still been friends with Bev when he'd left; they hadn't parted on bad terms, at any rate. But like many of his old friends and bandmates, they hadn't spoken since. Hugh wasn't sure what Bev knew about what had happened to him, how he felt about it all, nor even if they were still friends. What would he even say to him anyway? He didn't know.

Bev was sat next to Kelly, and Hugh had to stop himself getting jealous as he saw the way they were together. Hugh could tell they were more than just friends. There was a relationship there he hadn't expected to see, and it hurt a little to find Kelly didn't love him as completely as he'd thought. And with Bev of all people. There were secrets there he hadn't been told about, and Hugh felt slighted that Kelly had not shared them with him, not after he'd spent so long confessing everything to him after their first night together. Hugh had no secrets left to tell. Why did Kelly still withhold that from him?

He still felt like a bit of an outsider, in spite of how well he'd integrated into the Household. He'd learnt his chores and duties and adjusted with few difficulties to a normal life. He was only a week into what had become his normal routine, but it was nice. He liked having a set list of things to do every day as Carl reduced their specified training sessions down to a few hours a week. He was beginning to feel useful as he got on with his work. But he still felt like the new boy, the one right at the bottom that no one cared about, apart from Kelly. He knew it wasn't true, of course, but that wasn't the point. Carl told him not to let it worry him. It would pass once he'd got to know everyone properly. Hugh hoped he was right.

The party, Hugh discovered, was for Ace. Hugh hadn't really spent a lot of time with him, he seemed to prefer being with Trevor anyway, and Hugh was not one to push a friendship if it wasn't wanted or asked for. As far as he was aware, Ace hadn't made any more attempts at getting to know him, so he decided to hold back for now. But he had seen him at dinner enough to recognise the face of someone who'd had a rough life. He wondered what had happened to him. He itched to talk to him and befriend the only other person in the house he suspected had spent time on the streets, but he didn't want to upset him if it wasn't something he talked about, particularly not with strangers. But apparently Ace was going away now, so he'd lost his chance to get to know him. He tried not to let his disappointment show.

It wasn't til after dinner that Hugh got a chance to talk to him. Ace was saying goodbye to everyone, giving them all hugs and kisses. Hugh just watched and kept back a little, unsure what was going on. No one had really told him much about Ace and why he was there. He didn't serve Carl in the same way the rest of them did, and he came and went whenever he liked. He didn't always wear a collar either, and Hugh had rarely seen him doing any work around the house. He didn't understand why Ace had such a different relationship with Carl, and Carl had been reluctant to discuss the matter, telling him it wasn't time to learn about that yet. Hugh accepted that, and let it go. 

Hugh wanted to leave. He felt he was intruding on a private moment between them all. He didn't think anyone would notice if he slipped away. He didn't think Ace would bother with him anyway. They had no relationship, as far as Hugh was concerned. But after saying goodbye to Rick, Ace came over to Hugh and took his hands gently, smiling at him.

"Hello, my Angel," Ace sung as he greeted him. He smiled, his head cocked to one side. He seemed oddly cheerful, if strangely detached from the world around him. 

"So, you going away, then?" Hugh asked.

"Yeah, yeah, me 'ead's not so great right now. Did they tell you about me yet? 'm not well, y'see, up there," he gestured vaguely at his head for emphasis, "but it's alright. Carl looks after me. You all do, really. But don't you worry about me. I'll be back in a few weeks, alright? I jus' need more help than these lads can give me right now, an' I like giving Carl some space without me to look after. It's gonna be a bad one, Angel, I jus' know it. I can feel it. It's coming on like a bloody tidal wave. It's gonna drown me if I ain't careful. Charlie can't handle me when I'm like that. It ain't fair to him."

Ace looked away for a moment, smiling at a private memory. Hugh waited for him to speak, wondering what he was thinking about. He still felt like a stranger, and he wondered if he'd ever get to know him well at all. Hugh didn't know how to respond. Ace spoke again, his voice soft and slightly forlorn.

"This is just like what me dad went through, poor bastard. He wouldn't smile to see me like this though. But it's all me own fault anyway. I did this to meself, an' now I gotta live with it. Some days are harder than others. Some days I go to sleep wishing I won't wake up in the morning. I lie there and pray that the Angels will carry me to Heaven while I sleep." 

Hugh knew that feeling all too well. "Yeah, I've been there too. I didn't like feeling that way, but there was no way out, not back then. I couldn't see a way out. I'd let him whip me and fuck me, even if I hated it, because it was better than being out in the streets. I did anything for a meal back then. Anything to keep myself fed and sheltered. You understand that, don't you? I can see it on your face."

Ace nodded. He saw something familiar in his eyes. He'd seen the darker side of humanity that most people never saw. "No one understands that kind of desperation until they've lived it. But you didn't have all me problems to deal with. It's hard enough being out there when yer sane, I reckon. Y'don't know what it's like to be out there when you're sick. But at least you understand what it's like. We've got some war stories to trade when I get back, alright?" 

Ace hugged him then. Hugh hugged him back. He didn't want to let him go, but he did. Close as they were, Hugh could tell they'd been through similar experiences. Maybe not all the same experiences, but he knew the look of someone who'd been out on the streets. Hugh wasn't sure how he'd survived. Ace looked so fragile, like a tiny bird, his body trembling to keep him warm. Perhaps he was more resilient than he looked.

"We will. And I hope you get better, whatever it is that's wrong with you," Hugh said, lost for anything else to say.

Ace looked at him, moving his head as he observed him; Hugh couldn't decipher his expression. "They really didn't tell you anything, did they? Nah, they're bastards, that's what. Maybe I'll tell you when I get back. I don't really feel up to talking about it now. Too much to explain, and there's not enough time. I don't want you thinking I'm some sort of crazy violent nutter, which is what everyone else thinks when they find out. But they don't know anything. I ain't never hurt anyone, but no one cares. No one listens. They just stare at me like I've got two 'eads. They just hear that word an' suddenly they won't trust me. I'm lucky I've got Charlie looking after me. If I didn't have him, I'd have no one. I'd be out on the streets again. You know that's a horrid place to be, an' you were healthy. I wasn't. I'm not. I've still got some horrid memories in me 'ead that won't go away. But don't worry. Charlie'll be good to you, he will, an' he'll take care of you. I'll come back to you, Angel, and we'll talk this time, don't you worry about that."

Hugh took his hands again. "Yeah, we will. He'll take care of you too. You take care of yourself while you're away. Come back to us, y'hear?" 

Ace promised he would as they hugged again. They parted ways, and Ace wandered over to Trevor. Hugh kept back, wondering what was wrong with him, but he had enough manners not to ask. If Ace wanted to tell him when he got back, that was his choice. He wouldn't push him for an explanation if he didn't feel like talking.

It was only as he watched him walk away that he noticed his strange gait, how he half-skipped a step every so often, and the odd way he carried himself as if he had some strange burden he was carrying that no one else could see. Hugh wasn't sure what to make of it. Perhaps it was just how he was. He still didn't know what was wrong with him; it seemed everyone else knew, but he hadn't been told yet. But he decided not to worry about that until he came back. They would talk then, and then he would know.

He felt it might be time to make a strategic exit, for no other reason than he felt he'd seen enough. He'd leave them to spend some time together and go to bed. Maybe he'd get to know Ace better when he got back. As he turned to leave, feeling a bit like he didn't belong, he bumped into Carl. Hugh apologised and got out of his way, hoping he hadn't caused any trouble. 

Carl dismissed his apology, waving it away. "Settle down, it's alright. You did nothing wrong. I saw you with Ace just then. You haven't spent a lot of time together yet, have you? I don't think we've been over his care yet." 

"No, sir, we haven't, you said it wasn't time, but maybe when he gets back. What's wrong with him anyway? You haven't told me anything about him and why he's here," Hugh said.

"That's because I want you to get to know each other first. He'll tell you in his own time. Just be patient with him. He struggles with mental illness, I will tell you that much, but don't be afraid of him. He's just as much a part of this family as you are. We all care for him, we all love him, and we make sure he's alright. I think I might teach you how to care for him when he gets back. That should bring you two closer together. For now, don't worry about him. He's in good hands," Carl said. "Let's go for a walk outside. There are a few things about this Household you don't know yet."

* * *

Hugh followed him outside to the gardens. It was dark, but the air wasn't chilly. Away from the house, there was a still silence about. It felt more private. Hugh waited for Carl to speak as they walked around the gardens that were now bathed in sodium orange light that spilled out onto the paths. Hugh gazed up at the sky as they walked, noticing how bright the stars were. He hadn't realised there were so many of them. The night sky in the city was not as spectacular, but out there in the middle of the countryside, the sky was as clear as a bright summer day. The night went on forever, dotted with sparkling silver spots. He could hear other sounds too. Creatures that only came out at night that he'd never heard back in the city. He had grown used to the silence of the countryside, but it was still surprising to be outside and really realise just how different it sounded. As they reached the small pond by the vegetable garden near the summer house, Carl broke the silence.

"Roy was the first. We got together back in the late sixties. He brought Rick along with him a year or two later, and that's when we set up the first household. It wasn't something we had in mind when we started, but the more we went along with it, the more we felt like we wanted to live like that all the time. Roy wanted to be mine all the time, and Rick was interested too. So we found a small house together and moved in. We learnt together, and worked out how to make a lifestyle situation like this work. It's really hard when you're just starting out, you've never lived like that before, and you can't always devote all the time you need to make it work. You're living in each other's pockets, and everyone has to understand their role and what they're supposed to be doing. We were still playing in bands and gigging around the place to earn our keep. We did our best to make it balance. None of us had ever lived in that sort of situation before, so we were really making it up as we went along and hoping we were doing it well enough. Since I was the only one interested in being the master, the role fell to me. I had a couple of more experienced Doms come round with their subs to help us figure out how we could make it work. They were good people. Taught me everything I know. I couldn't have set up such a cohesive household without them." 

Hugh was impressed. "It goes back that far? I'd never have guessed. But you all seem very close though. It makes sense that you've all been together that long. I find it hard to feel like I fit in because of that. I don't know you all well enough yet, so I feel like I'm still a guest. I know you keep reassuring me it's not like that, but it's hard, sir, when you're all so close and I'm still so new. I wasn't around back then. I didn't really know most of you, so I'm starting from scratch."

Carl stopped by the pond and gazed at the still water. "Actually, Trevor wasn't here until about seven years ago. It was just me, Rick and Roy before then. We were the only permanent relationships. Any other subs that lived with us were temporary flings, or just for training. You'll fit in, Hugh, I know you will. You just need to stop worrying. Everyone accepts you. You wouldn't still be here if they didn't want you here. Even Ace accepts you being here. That's the most important thing, because he's the reason we're all here. If he doesn't like someone, they don't stay. He likes you, so you get to stay."

"But why? Why is Ace so special? I don't understand why he's here. I don't see him very often and I just leave him be. I wouldn't want to upset him, not if he's not well. Should I have made more of an effort to get to know him? I'm still getting used to being in such a large group relationship and how I'm supposed to approach everyone, particularly someone like Ace. From what little I know, he's like some of the blokes I met while I was on the streets, but I'm not going to approach him if he doesn't seem interested. That never ends well, in my experience," Hugh said.

"Don't worry about Ace. You'll learn in time. Ace came here when Trevor brought him to me several years ago. I was a bit surprised to see Trevor again actually. Our lives had gone in different directions, I didn't know he was even interested in this sort of lifestyle, but there he was at my door, asking if he could stay for a while. He'd heard about it from Roy one night down the pub. He said he hadn't realised that's what he wanted til he heard Roy talking about it, so he came to see me. He settled in well, and he liked the work, so he became the fourth permanent member of the group. Trevor brought Ace several months after that. Ace'd had a rough few years, been in and out of hospital, and needed somewhere to stay. He'd been out on the streets for some of that time as well. The only reason he came here at all was that Trevor found him sleeping rough one night and offered to take him home. Said he wouldn't accept no for an answer. Trevor said he wasn't keen to go until he told him he'd take him home to me. Apparently he was desperate to find me. I've always found that oddly touching, that in spite of all his madness, I was the one he wanted to be with. I was the one he was searching for." 

Carl seemed to pause, but Hugh got the sense he wasn't finished. Hugh waited for him to continue as he took in what he'd heard so far. He couldn't help remembering about the nights he'd spent on the street. Ace had been homeless, just like him. Except Hugh hadn't gone mad. Drank too much, sure, found himself taken to A&E a couple of times when he'd overindulged, but then everyone did that at least once. It was the only way to cope. Obviously Ace hadn't been so lucky. As Carl spoke again, Hugh noticed the sad look on his face. Clearly they weren't happy memories.

"He was in such a state when he got here. Broke my heart, it did. He could barely stand, so Trevor had to carry him in. He was still drunk and stoned out of his mind, dirty and starving and sick. The last time I'd seen him, he seemed alright. I thought he'd be okay. I thought he'd pull through. I didn't expect him to turn up looking like a starving, bedraggled kitten in need of a loving home. But he was in no fit state to talk to me then, so we gave him a wash and put him to bed and hoped he'd be alright. We wanted him to sober up first. Trevor sat by his bed the whole time, just to make sure he didn't hurt himself or run away. I didn't even know if he'd make it through that night. I almost expected that I'd wake up to find that he'd run away while we weren't looking and I'd never see him again. I was afraid we might wake up and he'd have passed away in his sleep. We were all afraid for him. I don't know if I really slept. It's hard to sleep when you've got someone like that there that you're worried sick about."

"I think many other people might've just left him there, you know. They'd think he'd be violent and wouldn't bother helping him. No one wants to help you when you're out there on your own. They don't see you, and if they do, they just think you're scum. They assume you're crazy. He wouldn't be the only one out there in need of help either. Plenty of 'em out there who can't keep a home or a job and find they have nothing left but the streets. Many of them are crazy. Mentally ill. Sure, some get arrested and taken into care more than others, but they're not all bad. I've never seen anyone deliberately act violently towards anyone. Mostly it's because they're scared and not really with it, but someone's taken hold of them and it's scared them shitless. They're just trying to get away and find somewhere safe, that's all it is. It's fucking depressing, sir. You see all those poor bastards out there, these poor old guys who have nothing, and they'll be more likely to share a scrap of food with you than you'd get a few quid from someone passing by. You see humanity from a different perspective out there. It changes you," Hugh said.

Carl looked ahead, resolute. "I challenge anyone to turn him away when he looked like that. I like to believe most people are decent human beings until proven otherwise. He needed help, and I wasn't going to turn him away. That was such a long night, but he did come down eventually. We talked then. I was surprised at how glad Ace was to see me, as if he'd been waiting all that time to find me again. He said I was the only authority figure he trusted. I was the only one he'd listen to. He told me everything, and I mean, everything. We just sat there, listening to him talk. It was like he couldn't stop until he'd told us absolutely everything about his life. It took a while to get to what he really wanted to say, though, to tell me why he needed me.

"You see, back in 1966, when we were playing as The Move, it had been Ace and Trevor who'd done all the drugs. While Trevor had been fine, it just destroyed Ace. He'd been left with some bad addictions, drugs and alcohol, and had no capacity to control himself. He just couldn't stop, even though he knew it was just making him worse. It made everything worse, no matter how much he prayed for it to make him better. It got to the point where he just couldn't cope, he had a couple of nervous breakdowns, and then everything fell apart. I actually remember him calling me one night in 1969, just to say goodbye. He said it was the last time he'd talk to me. It was the last I'd heard from him til Trevor brought him round."

Another pause. Carl scuffed his shoe against the gravel path, lost in thought. Hugh didn't want to interrupt. He hadn't expected there to be so much sadness around. He didn't want to push Carl to tell him anything if he didn't want to. He didn't need to know that badly. Carl sat down on the bench nearby, looking lost in thought. 

"I'm glad I missed all that craziness. I don't know if I could cope seeing a good friend fall apart like that. Did he...?" Hugh paused, unsure if he was probing too deep. "He tried to kill himself that night, didn't he? That night, when he called."

Carl inhaled. Hugh glanced over at him and saw him brush away a tear. "I didn't know it at the time, but yeah, he did. We'd had a few arguments in the weeks leading up to that night. Not bad ones, just... I don't know. I can't explain them anymore. So when he called to say goodbye, I just thought he meant our friendship was over. If I'd known what he was really planning, I'd have been over there in a heartbeat. I would've been there to stop him. God knows I didn't want to lose him. But I didn't hear that. I just thought he was ending our friendship."

"Maybe that's what he wanted, though. Maybe he was seeing if anyone was willing to come and save him," Hugh said, unsure if that was what Carl wanted to hear.

"I'm pretty sure it was, but I didn't hear that. I'm still kicking myself for not noticing. I could've saved him back then. We could've had more sympathy for him instead of just teasing him for fucking up his own mind. I still feel bad about that too. Maybe if we'd stopped it then, it might not've got as bad as it did. Maybe he'd have been alright now, instead of needing so much care. You never saw him before. You missed seeing how amazing he was on stage. But he's not that man I remember anymore, and, yeah, that hurts."

"But that's all in the past now, right? It got better. He's getting better. I don't see the point in mourning lost opportunities, or blaming yourself for not doing anything sooner. How could you have known what to do with him? It wasn't your responsibility back then."

Carl gestured for him to sit beside him. Hugh wasn't sure what else to say. He'd never been in that sort of situation before, but he could understand why Carl blamed himself for not saving him. 

Carl shrugged. "You're right, of course. We didn't know what to do with him, we were just a bunch of young kids who had too much money and fame, and then he'd just stopped talking to us so how were we supposed to know what he needed? The whole thing ended in tears anyway, when we kicked him out of the band. I don't think I'd seen him that upset before, but we had no choice. We just couldn't work with him anymore. So he moved away and stopped talking to us. I often thought about him, but we'd lost track of him. I think he'd gone to London. We were too busy to chase after him. I wouldn't have blamed him for thinking we'd abandoned him either. That was the last we saw of him. 

"It took another six years before he ended up with me, and another four to get him clean. It was so hard when he first came to stay with me. I hadn't expected that I'd be called upon to care for him. I had no idea what I was doing. I thought the best thing I could do was just listen to what he wanted me to do. He was desperate to get better, he made that clear in his more lucid moments, but he needed me to step in and take charge of his life. It wasn't something I was expecting, but I cared about him. I wanted him to get better, so I agreed to help him out. 

"I kept him very close to me for about three years, making sure he did everything I asked him to. Like, I had him on a leash so he couldn't stray from me, at least while we were inside. That's how bad it was. It took me over a year to convince him he needed proper treatment. There was only so much I could do when he kept fighting me, and he'd had some bad experiences with psych wards that made him reluctant to get help. But it couldn't be avoided forever. At some point, he had to get some professional help, more than what I could provide for him. He had more than just addiction to deal with, and it took me that long to convince him that was what he needed. They were bloody hard years, and I'm not sure he'd have survived if I hadn't been there to make him do what he needed to do. We fought a lot. He yelled at me, kicked me, he ran away, I dragged him back home, I dragged him off to therapy, even when he didn't want to go. Even when he was so afraid he hid himself away in the hopes I wouldn't make him go. He resisted me all the time, even though he did want my help. He used to call me God because of that. But I won in the end. I had to win. I wasn't going to go through all that effort for him and lose, not this time. I wasn't going to lose him this time."

Hugh reached for his hand in sympathy. His admiration for his new master was growing. He wasn't sure just anyone would go to so much effort for a sick friend. "That sounds pretty awful, actually. I don't know if I could do that. Wasn't there anyone else who could help? It can't have just been down to you alone to help him." 

"Oh, he had help. He got more help than he really wanted, I think, but I was the one living with him. I was the one taking care of him. I worked hard to earn my dominance over him so that he would do anything I asked without question. Addiction controls you. I had to replace it with me as much as I possibly could. I had to have him obeying me, not the drugs, and that's so hard. So fucking hard. Physical and psychological withdrawal are bastards to deal with, and his were particularly hard to deal with. They don't just go away overnight. They had become his coping mechanism, and he had no idea how to cope without them. It lasted for a year or two before they began to give way. The relapses haven't helped either. He tells me the urge to use never really goes away either, it just gets easier to ignore. He says it comes back when he's stressed, or if things seem like they're not going to get better. Trevor sometimes triggers it too, since they used to use together, but Trevor's been clean almost since he started here, so it's not so bad anymore. No drugs are allowed in the Household for that reason. Resisting the urge to self-medicate is the hardest, or so he says. A part of him still believes acid would make the madness stop, even though he knows it'd just make him worse. We're still working on beating that one."

Carl stopped. They sat in silence for a while, just being together. Hugh sensed how hard it was to talk about, even for someone who liked talking as much as Carl, but he was willing to let him take his time. He squeezed Carl's hand gently, and Carl smiled at him. Hugh thought it a privilege he was being told all this at all. Carl was willing to talk about difficult things with him. He appreciated the trust between them.

"Come on, I'll show you the farm while we're out here," Carl said as a distraction more than anything else. 

Hugh got the sense he was trying to avoid telling him something, which seemed strange considering how much Carl was willing to talk to him about just about anything at all, but he kept his silence. 

They got up and walked through the gardens towards the fields. The more he saw of the gardens, even in the darkness, the more self-sufficient the place seemed to be. He could hear the sheep in the distance, and it was hard to believe he was living on a working farm, given how grand the mansion was. 

They walked to the edge of the formal gardens and over to the out buildings and the chicken coop. These were rougher around the edges, much simpler and dirtier. There was a view across the paddocks there, and down to the canal. It seemed a lot bigger than he'd thought. 

"It's taken me a while to realise just how big this place is. I think I need to leave the house more often," Hugh mused as they leant against the wooden fence.

Carl looked philosophical as they gazed over the land before them. "When we bought this place, we had just been looking for somewhere to build a house. Somewhere quiet and peaceful for Ace to help him recover that was away from all the noise of the city. But it came with so much land, it seemed wasteful not to use it. Plus, it's a way of making some money off this place. It had come to the point where we'd decided that we were going to have to turn our lives to caring for Ace fulltime. It wasn't something we could only do some of the time. We'd have to give up being full-time professional musicians. That was one of the hardest decisions we've ever had to make, and it took us a long time to decide that was the best thing to do. We still do a few shows here and there if it's not going to affect things here too badly, but this is our life now. Caring for Ace is the most important thing now. That's what our lives are all about. We had to find another source of income. apart from music, which is how we ended up with a sheep farm. Trevor's pretty much in charge of the farm, though Kelly helps him out as well. Ace also assists when he's well enough. He says he likes being outside with the sheep, and I've certainly noticed it makes him happier. He says it helps, so I'm not one to discourage him if he feels up to it. It gets him out of the house. It's good for him."

"I still think all this is pretty incredible. You've set up a working farm and given up your careers for him. You're all such talented musicians. Why would you give all that up?" Hugh said.

Carl turned to him. "Sometimes, you come to realise there are more important things in life than your own success. I was determined that this time, I wasn't going to leave Ace to himself. I wasn't going to just joke about it and blame him for his predicament. I was going to help him as much as I could. I felt I owed him that much. So when we built this place, that's when it became all about Ace. Everything's become about supporting him and helping him recover. That's why it's different for him. Do you understand now?" 

"Yeah, I think I understand now. I think I admire you even more than I did before. I can't see Jeff doing what you did. I think he'd shy away from it all rather than give up everything for someone in need of help. You must love Ace an awful lot to put all this in place for him. I mean, this isn't just a small house. This is a proper working farm and everything. You do all this just so he's taken care of. That, to me, is pretty incredible. It says a lot about you," Hugh said.

Carl smiled softly. "We do love him very much, yeah. We're all he's got, so we make sure he's taken care of as best we can manage. I'm officially his primary carer so I can help him keep track of everything. You know, medications and any other treatment he needs. It's always his call, I never decide what treatment he has, but he likes having me take care of it. I'm going to warn you now. He's not always easy to care for. The days when he's not so good are hard. He'll bitch at you and push you away, and maybe he won't trust you at all, but it never lasts. Most of the time he's alright though. He's better than when he first came here. He can live fairly independently now. I never thought he'd get to that stage. I thought he'd be dependent on us for the rest of his life."

He fell silent. Hugh got the sense he was holding back again, but he wasn't sure how much he could pry. Maybe he shouldn't push Carl to tell him everything if it wasn't something he wanted to talk about just yet, particularly if it was about Ace, who wasn't there to speak for himself. He'd already been told an awful lot already. Maybe he would be pushing it too far if he pried when Carl didn't want to talk about it. Carl offered him a cigarette and they lit up. They stood there a while, smoke drifting off into the night air.

After a while, Hugh broke the silence. "You're not telling me everything, are you? It wasn't just his addictions. There's something else wrong with him, isn't there? Don't you think you should tell me so I know what I'm in for when he gets back?"

Carl didn't reply. Hugh wasn't sure he was going to answer, but he finished his cigarette and squashed the stub underfoot before he spoke. Hugh could hear the anxiety in his voice, and he wondered, for a moment, whether he should've asked at all. 

"He's got schizophrenia, if you must know. I wasn't going to tell you because I wanted you to get to know him first without that hanging over his head. He only got officially diagnosed a couple of years ago, and there are days when he still struggles to accept it. People make stupid assumptions when they hear that he's schizophrenic and don't bother getting to know him. They can't see past it. They think he's dangerous and violent, some even think he has split personalities and he'll murder everyone in their sleep, but that's all bullshit. Split personalities is a completely different disorder. He hasn't got that. He isn't violent or dangerous, not even when he has a psychotic break, which is pretty rare these days since we finally found a medicine that works and keep his life pretty stress-free and ordered. Sure, he might shove you away a little if he feels you've got too close, but there's no anger behind it. No strength. And he doesn't mean it. He breaks down and apologises every time. But most people don't understand schizophrenia anyway, so why should it be any different?" Carl glanced at him. "You're not scared now, are you? He won't hurt you. He's accepted you as part of the family. It's probably why he thinks you're an Angel. Why do you think he said goodbye to you?"

Hugh took his words in, mulling them over in his mind. In a way, he was glad he knew, but at the same time, he felt guilty he hadn't waited til Ace came home again. He was a bit scared too, if truth be told, but he trusted Carl, and if Carl was happy for him to live there, then maybe there wasn't anything to worry about. Part of him still wished he didn't know, though. He'd have to work hard at seeing past his illness when he got back. 

"He looked so fragile in there. I didn't want to let him go. But I never thought- Is it really schizophrenia? I never would've guessed. But if you say he's alright, I'll trust you. He wouldn't be here if he really was dangerous, right?" Hugh said.

Carl touched his shoulder gently. "Trust me, I wouldn't let a dangerous man into the Household. He's safe. Hard to deal with sometimes, frustrating as all hell and sometimes a bit of a bastard, but he's safe. But we'll go over that when he gets back, alright? It isn't fair to talk about it when he's not here. We can never really understand what he goes through. It's better if he speaks for himself." 

"Yes, sir."

That appeared to be the end of it. They headed back towards the mansion through the gardens in silence, leaving the farm behind. As they reached the house and turned to go back inside, Hugh saw Kelly leading Bev off into the gardens away from them, sneaking a kiss here and there as they went. Hugh stopped, unsure how to feel. He knew where they were going, and he wasn't sure if he was alright with that.

"He still loves me, doesn't he? How many others does he love, apart from me?" 

Carl noticed them too. He turned back to him. "You'd have to ask him that. Like I said before, maybe you're not up for more than one relationship at a time. That's fine. But you can't get jealous. Jealousy ruins a system like this. It's why some subs left. They couldn't handle it. I'm the first and only relationship you have to have if you want to be a part of this system. All others are optional. Take it slowly, alright? I think you and Kelly are good for each other, if you want my opinion. But I wouldn't force you together if you can't handle that. I think you should take some time to decide if multiple relationships are something you can cope with. Now, I suggest you head up to bed. It's nearly ten. I'll be off early with Ace, and then I have some errands to run. I'll be home for lunch. See if you can have coffee ready by then, yeah? I've got a few things I want to teach you tomorrow afternoon."

"I can do that, sir. Good night, sir. I hope Ace comes back feeling better, too. I'd really like to spend some time with him when he gets back," Hugh said.

"I'd already planned for that. Now, go on, get out of here. I'll see you tomorrow, alright?" Carl said.

They shared a goodnight kiss before Hugh headed off to bed. Carl watched him go before heading in himself. Tomorrow was going to be a long day.

* * *

Hugh found himself woken early the next morning to find Ace leaning over him. He'd snuck into his room again. Ace was staring down at him, their faces inches apart, though it was hard to see anything in the darkness. He went to speak, but Ace pressed a finger against his lips. 

"Shh. Don't speak, you'll wake him. But I wanted to say goodbye one last time, Angel. I'm a bit scared about this one, but I have to go. It'll be too dangerous to stay here. You won't be able to cope. I'm so scared, Angel. Tell me it's going to be fine," Ace whispered. 

"It'll be fine, Ace. You'll go and get better, and when you come back, we'll talk. I'll tell you why I had to sell my cello. They won't hurt you, they're there to help you, all those doctors, right? So why would you be afraid?" Hugh whispered back.

Ace glanced around nervously. "I don't know, I really don't, but there's - I get a feeling, y'know? I should go hide, I should stay here, but it's getting bad, Hugh, real bad. Slowly slipping away, I am. I need to go away, but I'm scared. Pray for me, Hugh Angel. Make sure they don't win this time."

Hugh took his hands. "I promise. I'll pray every day for you. I'll pray so bloody hard He'll have no choice but to keep you safe." 

And he meant it. It had been a long time since he'd prayed for anyone, let alone been in any way religious, but Ace needed him, and he wasn't going to let him down. He'd pray to God and Jesus and all the bloody Angels in Heaven to keep him safe. Every day, if he could manage it. And if they didn't bring him home safe, he'd renounce God for good. 

Ace kissed him fiercely, hands cupping his face. When he pulled away, Hugh could feel the tears drying on his cheeks. He hadn't expected Ace to be crying and wondered if he'd upset him, but from the grateful smile on his face, he wasn't sad at all.

"Thank you. Thank you, Angel. I like you. I can rely on you. You'll keep me safe. God said you'll keep me safe. He said He'd send me an Angel, and He did. He really did. I have an Angel looking after me now," Ace whispered. He looked over his shoulder as if he'd heard something. "Alright, he's up now. I gotta go. Pray for me, Hugh. Pray for me, Angel."

"I will, I promise. Come home safe and well," Hugh said.

And with that, Ace scrambled off his bed and left him alone. He checked the time. Five in the morning. Could he really go to sleep for another hour and not sleep late? He had that long til breakfast was ready anyway. Maybe he should try and get some more sleep, just until the rest of the Household woke. He settled back in bed and closed his eyes. 

"Dear God, please bring Ace back home safely. Make him well again. I just want him to be well again. Please look after him. He needs you," Hugh murmured, hands clasped together. It would not be the only prayer he would say that day as he let himself drift off.

* * *

The next few weeks passed without incident, except for the massive party they'd had for Rick's birthday. As with all birthdays, it had been a day off for everyone, and as Rick had become the oldest member of the Household at thirty nine, there had been plenty of ribbing from everyone, particularly Hugh, who as the youngest, took a lot of pleasure out of the fact he wasn't even thirty yet. 

Carl worked him hard as Hugh was finally assigned to full-time duties. It was hard work, but Hugh didn't mind. He worked hard to make sure he did everything properly, and it took his mind off Ace. With fulltime duties came playtime, and every Tuesday afternoon, Hugh and Carl had an hour to themselves in the dungeon. 

Every session was different as they tried out what they both liked and disliked. Carl was good at taking him deep into subspace, and there was even a cage down there for him to stay in a while if he wanted it. He hadn't wanted to, not at first, but Carl coaxed him in and suggested he try it, even for a few minutes, just to see how he liked it. He was surprised to find he reacted to it. He found he wanted to just curl up and be still and quiet in there, as if he was a caged animal. But it didn't feel like he was imprisoned. The bars of the cage kept things out. It was a safe space, not a prison. 

During their first session, Carl managed to make whipping pleasurable. It was not something Hugh had been keen to try, but Carl persuaded him that this would be different. There would be no bloody welts. No pain, if he didn't want it. He'd only work him as hard as he wanted. This sort of whipping was for pleasure, not punishment. Hugh had been strapped down on his stomach and Carl worked him beautifully. He didn't hit him hard, and Hugh barely had any marks on his back. But by the time he was done, Hugh felt a hot rush of adrenalin and begged Carl to do that again. He had finally understood just how good a whipping could feel, and it was almost as good as the first time he'd been taken by a Dom all those years ago. 

It had also meant sex at long last. Carl had made him wait to consummate their relationship, and Hugh decided it had been worth it. Sex with Kelly had been good, but it wasn't the same as sex with his Master. He'd been invited into his Master's bed, and they'd lain together as a couple. Finally, Hugh began to feel like he belonged. 

Hugh decided it felt strange not having Ace in the house though. He didn't really know why; he hadn't really noticed him much when he'd been there before, apart from seeing him at meal times, so why his absence was suddenly so noticeable was beyond him. 

He'd been praying every day for him too, like he promised. There was a small church nearby at the far end of their land, and Hugh would cross the fields and the graveyard to stay a moment there every afternoon when he had free time. He still didn't feel particularly religious, but it was hard not to feel calm and peaceful in a church. He'd sit there, watching the light stream in from the windows, and for a moment, everything was alright.

He wasn't always alone. Sometimes, there were others around. Sometimes, just taking a moment to pray like he was, or doing other things around the church. Mostly, he was left alone. He wasn't sure what he'd have said if someone had talked to him. He never really stayed long either. He just stayed long enough to say a prayer or two, and take a small break from the Household. The sort of moment where he could properly think about things in a way he wasn't always able to do back home. He never wore his collar either; it stayed in his pocket til he was back home.

Sometimes he thought he'd heard a soft voice answering his prayers, but he'd ignored it. It was probably just his mind reassuring itself that everything would be fine to stop him worrying so much. He just hoped it was helping. He hoped Ace was doing alright.

* * *

It was a Saturday evening in early July. He'd been praying again. Ace had been gone four weeks now, and there was no word he'd be coming home soon. Hugh wasn't too worried though. Carl reassured him that wasn't unusual. They'd talked a bit more about Ace's condition, but Carl didn't want to get too in-depth with it while Ace wasn't there. He felt Ace really should be there to speak for himself, and Hugh respected that.

It was a rare night off for him too, since Carl and Roy were in London for a show. He had thought about going into town, just for a change of scenery. It wasn't that he had been stuck in the Household since he'd arrived, either. He had been into town more than once, and been taken to a few shows as well. But those had all been with Carl. He felt he might like to go on his own for once. Finishing his prayers, he bowed his head slightly to the altar, for no other reason than it felt appropriate, and left. As he came out of the church, he found Kelly waiting for him.

"Alright, then?" Kelly said as he approached.

"Yeah, I'm alright. What're you doing here?" Hugh said.

Kelly lit up as a distraction. "Thought you might want to go out tonight. Just you and me, y'know? We haven't had a chance to go out alone yet. There's a nice Indian place in Redditch, or we could go up to Brum if you like. So where d'you want to go? We got the whole night to ourselves. We could do anything you like."

Hugh thought a moment. "Let's go up to Birmingham. I haven't been there for months. I miss it."

Kelly smiled as he ushered him away from the church to the car. "Come on, I'll show you a good time, hey?"

"Just think what mischief you and I could get up to out there," Hugh commented as they set off.

* * *

If truth be told, it hadn't been much of a romantic dinner, but it had been very nice. Kelly's face was too well-known for them to just slink away into the background, so they had to be careful. It didn't bother Hugh though. He liked being out with him, away from the Household, even if it meant being without his collar so no one saw it and realised what he got up to. It was easy to forget that the way they lived wasn't normal when they lived in the country, away from the big cities. 

They weren't out very late, even though Carl hadn't given them a curfew. Being around drunken idiots, some of whom had decided to get quite friendly with Kelly in sympathy, wasn't as fun as Hugh remembered. He'd managed to keep his jealousy in check when a couple of girls decided to steal a kiss or two from Kelly. He just leant against the bar and watched. For a brief moment, he wished someone would recognise him. Then he decided he didn't want the attention anymore, not from them. He'd come a long way from fame and fortune, and that realisation was a strange thing to behold. It hurt, in its own peculiar way, and yet, it wasn't something he felt he wanted anymore.

Once they'd finally pulled themselves away from the pub, they went for a walk around the city. Kelly talked amiably beside him, but Hugh found himself in a weird mood. The last time he'd been in Birmingham, he'd been desperately looking for somewhere to sleep. He'd been starving and dirty, and down to his last few pennies. Now he had a good home, a master who loved him, and money in his pockets. Life was significantly better than it had been a few months ago. 

"Penny for your thoughts?" Kelly prompted as they arrived back at the car. 

Hugh looked over at him. He'd been miles away. He pointed at an alleyway across the road, realising where they were. "I slept over there once. Behind the skip. Bloody cold day that was too."

Kelly glanced over at it. "You alright? We didn't have to come back here, you know."

Hugh brushed him off. "Nah, you're alright. It's just weird, y'know? You see a city differently when it's your home. I'm one of the lucky ones. Plenty of other people out there that most of us don't see. We don't want to see 'em. You're starving and all you want are a few quid to get some food, just one lousy meal, and they all walk past you like you don't exist. You lot don't know how lucky you have it til you're on the other side. I got out. Carl saved me. But what about the rest of them out there? Why did I get lucky and not them too? It doesn't seem fair."

"Life's unfair, Hugh. That's just how it is. You got lucky. You got a chance at a better life. Can't you be happy about that just for a moment?" Kelly said.

"I think grateful is the word I'd have used. Carl didn't have to give me a chance. You didn't have to give me a chance either. I think it works in my head, loving both of you at the same time. I'm trying not to get jealous. It's hard, but I think I'm getting there. Can we go home now? I think I want to go home now, away from the city," Hugh said.

Kelly threw him the keys. "Alright, but you're driving. Just don't get us killed, yeah?" 

Hugh caught them and pretended to look insulted. "I'll do my best, sir. Can't guarantee it, not with all those nutters out there, though."

Hugh was glad to drive. He did quite enjoy driving, when he got the chance. Admittedly, he'd had a couple of glasses of wine over dinner, but he was feeling alright now. He'd tried not to drink too much; someone had to drive them both home again, and, as it turned out, that wasn't going to be Kelly. Hugh didn't mind, though. He'd grown used to not drinking alcohol as it was banned in the Household, and he was surprised to discover he had lost most of his desire to drink. Perhaps he'd fit in more than he'd realised. He wasn't sure when that had happened, but he wasn't eager for it to return. He'd done more than his fair share of drinking over the years. Going without wasn't as painful as he'd thought it might be, and it certainly wouldn't do him any harm.

* * *

They had a nightcap in the summer house, spending some time together as a couple. Hugh wanted to talk for once, and Kelly didn't seem to mind. There would be other chances for sex. It wasn't a priority. They lay in the hammock together, side by side, watching the night sky from the window.

"So, how are you really coping with all this? Loving me and Carl at the same time. You said you were jealous, didn't you? Jealous of what? Of the other subs in the house?" Kelly said.

"No, not the other subs. No, it was the night Ace left. I saw you with Bev. I didn't know you two were together. I was with Carl out in the gardens, and I saw you. We'd just got together, and there I see you running off with him. I probably should've mentioned it before now, but I didn't want to make a fuss. I was trying not to let it affect me and just deal with it. It's just how things are around here, so I thought just going with it was better than getting angry at you. Is he the only one?" 

Kelly glanced over at him. "Yeah, it's just you, Carl, and Bev, that's all. I love you all equally and completely. Bev's nice cos he's outside the Household. He has his own Master anyway, but he's still part of the family. It's like you and me. There are things only we can talk about cos no one else will understand. He understands. Sometimes you can spend too much time here. It gets isolating. You wanna talk about something other than the Household and be a normal person for a while. You understand that, don't you?"

Hugh nodded. "I do, yeah. I didn't know Bev was into all this though, let alone had his own Master. Who's his Dom?"

"It's not my place to tell. I don't even know if you know him. You're not from around here, so. Why don't you ask him next time he's here? He might tell you if you ask nicely. It's not fulltime though, not like we have. They're too busy for that. But I understand they meet up whenever they can. It's not even the same sort of D/s we have either. It's different. He's never told me how, just that it's different," Kelly said.

Hugh understood when he was being told to stop asking questions. "Oh, right. Well, maybe I'll ask him next time. I do sometimes wonder why he's here if he's not part of the household, but I suppose you're just old friends. He was there all those years ago, so it stands to reason he'd be here now, helping take care of Ace in his own way."

Kelly half-shrugged. "It's the money, mostly. He's still out there playing in bands. He's not here every day, but he sends back what he can, and he's here when he's home. He always tries to stay at least a week with us if he's able, just to reconnect with everyone again. But he's always so busy, he never gets here as often as he'd like. His Dom's part of the family too, but it's like Bev. It's financial. The band's too big for him to quit now. It helps when we don't get as much money from the farm as we'd like. Any extra money helps. We've got farm workers to pay, after all, so we need enough to cover their wages. Anything else is poured into maintenance, Ace's care, and anything else that's required to keep the farm going. We've made it so far, but it's always wise to plan ahead. Sure, they're not here all the time, doing the day-to-day stuff, but we'd be worse off without their support."

"I never thought about that. It's not really my concern, so I don't bring it up. It's not something I should worry about. I can forfeit my allowance if it'd help. I wouldn't want to take money away from Ace," Hugh said.

"We're fine, Hugh. We've got enough. Stop worrying about the money, alright? It's just nice to have a surplus. How are you dealing with our relationship anyway? Is it working for you yet, loving two people equally?" Kelly said.

"Yeah, I think I'm beginning to get it. I know I love you, and I know I love Carl. I've got to the point where I can hold you both in my heart and not feel so conflicted. It doesn't feel as weird as it used to. I've had to address that voice you have in your head which is telling you that you're supposed to settle down with only one person, and not with another man, if you can help it. It really only bothers me when I'm in church. Out here, this is normal. I think I can live with that."

Kelly reached for his hand, and they shifted to face each other, trying not to rock the hammock too much. "That's why I don't go to church. Never did like all that preaching. I'm glad you're getting used to all this. It takes a while to adjust to it. Just don't fake it because you assume everyone here does it and that means you have to be like that as well. I wouldn't want you to commit to me if it's not something you really want or are capable of doing. The rest of the world's monogamous. We're not. It takes a while to get that there's another way of doing things that's just as valid, even if most people don't know about it and don't understand it."

"No, I want it. It's just taken a while to get used to it. It was never something I considered. I didn't know it was even possible. You spend so long being monogamous that when you discover it's not the only way to do things, it takes some getting used to. I don't really feel jealous much though. The way I see it, we're all in one big complicated relationship together, even if it's not necessarily romantic in a traditional sense. Calling it a family helps, actually. I can understand family. And even though I spend time alone with you and Carl, that doesn't mean I love the others any less either. It's different. It's a different kind of relationship. I've come to understand that now. It was all very confusing when I first got here, but it's making sense now, you know? I miss Ace. He's not here. There's a piece missing. The house doesn't feel right without him, even though I haven't spent a lot of time with him. That energy's missing. I think that's why it makes sense to me," Hugh said.

"You'll get used to Ace. He's alright once you get to know him. Just be patient with him and don't push him. Let him set the pace and respect his boundaries. Maybe one day he'll invite you into his little world. He's got his own little flat on the ground floor. That's where he lives. It's his space, and no one goes in there without his permission. It's all self-contained and everything, with his own garden and all too. When Carl teaches you how to take care of him, you'll be going in there a lot, assuming Ace lets you in. You'll have to learn when he really wants you to leave him alone, and when he's just being difficult. If you go in there, thinking he's being difficult, and he really wants you to go away, he'll let you know. Probably shove you back out, most likely. Remember that it's his space, and he controls who comes in, not Carl. Be respectful about that, alright?" Kelly said.

"I was going to be cautious with him, yeah. I don't want to ruin things between us. If I'm going to stay here permanently, which is what I'd love to do, there's no point in pissing off the most important person in the Household. I admit I don't really understand his illness, but I'm willing to learn. I want this to work." Hugh paused a moment, smiling. "It's funny, I didn't think this would be the sort of household I'd be a part of. I never thought that this would be where I'd finally find the right Dom for me, or that I'd find myself in this sort of situation where you're all caring for someone. It's all for him, isn't it? It's all for Ace. You've all given up so much for him, just to make sure he's alright. That's just so incredible to me. It says a lot about you all, It says so much about Carl as a Dom, and I don't think I want to be anywhere else but here."

"I don't see it so much as giving up everything for him so much as living selflessly. Not everyone does this sort of thing anymore, live together as a supportive loving family to care for someone who's not well. And we are a family, weird as it sounds. Maybe not a family in the way most would understand it, but we're still a family. You feel that too, don't you?" Kelly said.

"Yeah, yeah I do. You're Ace's family. We're Ace's family. That's part of how he copes, isn't it? Knowing he's got a supportive family, even if it isn't the one he was born into. It's a privilege to be part of something like that, at least, that's how I feel about it," Hugh said.

Kelly smiled. "See? You're getting it. I'm sure you two will get along fine." He rolled over on top of Hugh, leaning in close to him. "Now, I suggest one last fuck before we head to bed. How does that sound?"

Hugh pulled him close, his hands squeezing his arse playfully. "Make it a good one. I wanna go to bed happy."

* * *

After six weeks away, Ace was coming home at last. Hugh had just expected that Carl would go pick him up and that he'd see him when he got home, but apparently Ace had asked for Hugh to be there too. Hugh didn't mind, but he still wasn't entirely sure about the whole thing. He felt he was intruding, particularly as he knew Ace was much closer to Trevor than him. He didn't want to intrude, not when Trevor wasn't there as well. But he didn't say anything as Carl drove them down to Redditch. If Ace wanted him there, he'd be there.

The clinic Ace had been staying at was less frightening than Hugh had anticipated. It just looked like an ordinary set of buildings surrounded by some land and nice gardens. It didn't look like what he thought a psychiatric hospital should look like at all, and inside, while it was more like a hospital with white walls and a sterile feel, it didn't look like a monstrous cruel prison either. Hugh followed Carl inside. They were shown through to Ace's room. He sat on his bed, looking out the window. He seemed serene. He turned and smiled as he heard them enter. He got up and went to greet them.

"Oh, there you are! It's God and his Angel, come to take me home at last. About time you turned up," Ace said. "Nice to see you, Hugh. I missed you. Did you pray for me? Cos I thought I heard you one night, talking to the Angels."

Hugh let Ace pull him into a gentle hug. Hugh didn't want to let him go as he hugged him back. "I was at church every day, praying for you, like I promised I would. Did it help? Please tell me it helped."

"I reckon it did. It was the only thing comforting me during those first few weeks. I could hear you, y'see. I could hear you praying. An' that's how I knew I was still alive. I was going to make it out safe for you. It got bad, but it didn't stay that way. It got better." Ace turned to Carl and brought them both into a hug. "Thanks for bringing him, Charlie. I missed you as well. Missed both of you. Need my family back now." 

"I'm glad you're alright. I heard you had a bad reaction to some new medication, yeah? Are you alright now? They're not still making you take it, are they?" Carl said.

"Yeah, 'm alright, sir, now that it's all out of me system," Ace murmured. He pulled away, a little apprehensive, and searched his bag for the prescription he'd been given. He handed it to Carl. "That's the one. For the love of God, don't fill it. Made me 'ead go all spinny an' I couldn't see anything. Just terrible bloody nightmares. Properly vivid ones, too. They looked like they were real. I ain't never been psychotic like that before. Scared the life out of me, it did. It just made everything worse. They were yelling at me an' all, the bastards. Ev'rything fell apart, Charlie. It all fell down into nothing. I couldn't see for nothing. It was just nothing. Turtles and flamingos all the way down to nothingness.

"Like, I didn't want to try it anyway, but you know what he's like. Said it was some new thing. I ain't never heard of it before. But he said it was better than the other one. So I agree to try it once, just to make him happy, and the next thing I remember is waking up in a hospital bed, like a proper one, with tubes stuck in me arms an' everything. Apparently I couldn't speak for several days, so they didn't know how bad it was til I could speak. So they had me in bed like that so I didn't die. I was catatonic an' everything, an' you know that's bad fer me. I ain't never gone catatonic before. Scary as fuck, that is. I couldn't move, Charlie. I just couldn't move. Ev'rything shut down around me. Devils held me in place in the shimmering darkness. 

"An' I didn't even know it was that long. It took 'em another week and a half to rid me body of that one dose. I craved them, me body wanted 'em so badly and y'know what I'm like with bad drugs, but I had to stop meself. I made 'em strap me down an' all. I couldn't go through that again. Charlie, seriously, I've had bad acid trips that are less frightening than those bloody pills. Doc says I should stick with 'em anyway, he reckons I won't react so badly at home with you guys around, but I don't want them. I won't take them. I said he could give me as many scripts for those pills as he liked, I wasn't gonna take any of them. Put that in the file under that list of stuff I can't take, will you? 

"Also, can I get a horse? Only I was finally allowed to tend to the horses this time. You know the horses they've got out the back? Some new sort of therapy thing. I don't understand it. But I was just out there with these horses, in the middle of this paddock, and it helped, y'know? I wasn't even on any medication, I refused to take any after that bad one, an' I was alright. I didn't feel bad. I still feel alright. It was weird. It was like the horse was making me better. I didn't feel stressed when I had 'em around. So can I get a horse please? We could finally use those stables properly. It's not like we're short of land. We don't need that much for the sheep."

Carl looked over the script. "If you say they're bad, I won't get them for you. I'll add it to the list. I don't know why he'd prescribe them when you had such a bad reaction though. He normally doesn't do that. I'll have a talk with him, alright? And I think about the horse. You know they're not cheap, and we don't have an endless supply of money. I'll have to see if we can afford to keep one for you. If we can't afford a horse, would you accept something else?"

Ace thought for a moment. "I really want a horse, but you're the one with all the money. If we can't afford one, maybe a cat would do. There was one wandering around outside, think it was a stray, but I made friends with it. I brought it little bits of food. They told me not to, but I did anyway. Cos I liked it. So if I can't get a horse, can I get a cat?"

"We'll see, alright? Maybe we can get you a cat while we think about the horse, yeah? How does that sound? Is that everything? You all ready to go then?" Carl said.

Ace put the script away and gathered his things. "All ready. All checked out an' everything. Take me home, Charlie. I want to go home."

* * *

Ace insisted on stopping at the first pet shop they saw to pick up a cat. Carl was willing to indulge him if it was something that would help. Ace picked out two little grey kittens, and after buying some cat food and other supplies, they headed home. Ace sat in the back, nursing the kittens in his arms. 

When they got home, Ace carried the kittens while Carl and Hugh took care of the rest of his things. Hugh hadn't been to Ace's part of the house before. He'd never been invited. It took up most of the western side of the mansion, and was almost completely separate from it, barring the double doors that led to them. No one was to go in there without Ace's permission, as it was his property, not Carl's. 

Ace stopped in front of the doors. "Say a prayer before you enter, Hugh. Say hello to the Angels."

Hugh did so, glancing over to find Carl doing the same thing. Apparently it was just how Ace wanted things done. After he'd said a quick prayer, Ace pushed the doors open a moment later, a kitten perched precariously on each shoulder. 

"Come on in, Hugh. Come and see my home," Ace said.

Hugh wasn't sure what he was expecting. It seemed like a relatively normal living space, though done in a more modern style than the rest of the house, which was decidedly more Georgian. The first thing Hugh noticed was the sheer number of angel statues everywhere. They lined the skirting boards and the window sills; any flat surface that was free had angel statues on it. They were all different sizes and styles, from tiny origami angels to paper angels made from newspaper and cloth to ones made from plasticine and wood to ornate ceramic ones half a metre high, covered with gold leaf. Some looked like Christmas angels. Some were Archangels, their swords held high. Others were more abstract, or just beautiful angelic winged women. There was a collection of cherubs in one corner, all round and pink, their little wings jutting out from behind their backs. There was an upside-down Cupid hanging from a doorframe. Some even had names on them, but Hugh couldn't quite read them all, as they were written in an odd script that he couldn't understand. 

The next thing Hugh noticed was the walls, painted in a soft dark lavender colour. They were covered with writing and music scores, as well as countless drawings of angels. Most of it was written in black, but there were other colours too. The music in particular was done in different colours and used a notation that Hugh did not know. As he looked around, he noticed a drawing of a pair of angels near the top of the window that appeared to be having sex, their three pairs of wings curled around their naked bodies.

The rest of the house appeared relatively tidy, except for the fact that there were piles of, well, everything all over the place. Enough to walk around, but the space was wide enough for it not to be a problem. There were a pile of newspapers by the television at the far end of the room. On top of them sat a scrabble board covered with a circle of different coloured crystals and four nails in the centre. Its purpose remained unclear. 

Ace held them back as he went over to the archway halfway down the hall and scribbled the names of the two cats there on the wall with a pen he found resting on a nearby windowsill.

"Will you be alright, Ace? I've got some things to attend to. I'll leave you in Hugh's capable hands. I've taught him what to do while you've been away," Carl said as he set his bags down. 

Ace turned to him and smiled. "Oh, we'll be alright. The Angels said he's alright. You go get me a horse, Charlie. I wanna grey one, with a white nose an' speckles on it, an' great big white wings. I'll call him Stardust, an' he can fly me to the stars." 

"I told you, I've made no promises about the horse, but we'll see. Let me know if you need anything," Carl said.

The kittens were left in Hugh's arms for the moment. Hugh watched Ace and Carl embrace and share a soft kiss. He had always assumed they had that sort of relationship, but that was the first time he'd seen it. It seemed strange, but he didn't question it. He watched them whisper softly to each other and share another chaste kiss before Carl left them alone. Ace closed the doors before coming to get the kittens off him. 

With Carl gone, Hugh was left alone with Ace. He was somewhat nervous, if only because he still didn't really know what he was supposed to do with him. Carl had indeed taught him many of the things he'd need to do to care for him, but Hugh still felt unprepared being alone with him for the first time. He felt he would've preferred to have Carl there to make sure he did nothing wrong. He'd just have to be careful and make sure he didn't upset Ace and do the best he could. 

"So this is where you live then? Why do you write on the walls anyway?" Hugh asked.

"Oh, cos no one can steal my music then. No paper. Can't write on paper. Paper gets lost or burnt. Can't burn a brick wall," Ace reassured him. "Come through here, I'll show you and my new kittens around."

Hugh couldn't argue with his logic. Ace led him through the archway and into the far part of the room. It extended around the corner, past another archway, and led both into a conservatory that opened straight into the garden. 

"I write my music here. And read. I like reading. Got lots of books too, see?" Ace said, indicating the instruments leaning against one wall and the large bookshelves stuffed full of books and even more angel statues. Hugh couldn't work out how the books were organised, just that they were organised in groups by coloured marks on their spines.

"We should make music together, now that I have a cello again," Hugh said, taking in all he could see. He read snippets of song lyrics and bits of music on the walls, but didn't read too much in case Ace thought he was trying to steal them.

Ace looked at him excitedly. "Oh, have you got a cello now? Yes, yes you must come down and play with me. I could use a cello. I had a thought about something, there've been fairies about and I wanted..."

Ace trailed off and wandered into an adjoining room. Hugh went to follow, but Ace told him to stay back. He seemed to be gone quite some time before he reappeared, holding a set of coloured markers. He wandered over to a spare part of the wall and began writing, scoring the music and lyrics side by side. Even though he was watching it being written, and he could hear Ace humming certain parts as he wrote it down, he still didn't quite understand his system. He wasn't using symbols he was familiar with and he was moving too fast for him to be able to follow. 

"We'll play this next time, Angel. Oh, yes, you need to write your name too. Here, take that, and go write. Over where I wrote the cats' names. Go on. Can't be here without doing that. Have to know who my Angels are," Ace said, throwing him a black marker.

Hugh did as he was told. It didn't take him long to find the spot on the other side of the first archway. There was a large decorated heading that said 'ANGELS' in underlined capital letters. Underneath, everyone's names were listed, including the names of the cats, and two horses, a duck, and one of the sheep. Hugh decided not to question it as he added his name to the list. He wrote 'human' in brackets after it, like the others in the Household had done, as if it was important for him to know which species each of his Angels were. He also added a quick drawing of a cello, just to make sure Ace knew it was him. 

Heading back, he noticed Ace had disappeared. He hadn't heard him walk off, and he couldn't find the kittens either. It seemed they'd been allowed to roam now that the doors had been shut, and he'd lost track of them. Perhaps they were hiding under one of the sofas.

"Ace? Where are you? I'm done with the wall now," Hugh said as he got back to where he'd been. He set the marker down beside the others, which lay on one of the shelves where Ace had been writing.

"Come in here. I need you for something," came Ace's voice from the door off to his right.

Hugh entered what appeared to be his bedroom. There was a large window on the right side, but it had been covered up with thick curtains, and the light streaming in from glass door at the other end didn't light the place up much. He could see a bed against one wall, and more shelves. Then he saw Ace rummaging around in a drawer, his back turned to him. 

"Lost something?" Hugh said.

Ace looked back at him, distracted, idly scratching the back of his head. "Oh, um, no, actually. I was just-" He paused, unsure, as he straightened and turned to face him. "Never mind. I thought there was something in there. They said you could come in here though. I don't often let anyone into the shrine, but you can come in because you're an Angel."

"I'll consider myself blessed then," Hugh said.

Ace approached him and looked up at him, hesitating. He took Hugh's hand and placed it over his heart, holding it there with his hands. "I'm the one who's blessed to have an Angel in my life. I want you to love me. Can you do that? I don't want you to just say it. Feel it, Angel."

Hugh rested his other hand on Ace's shoulder, but he hesitated. If he was with anyone else, he'd lean in and kiss him. He wasn't sure what to do with Ace. Did Ace even want that? He didn't want to offend him he didn't want to upset him, so he waited for Ace to move first. Ace closed the small gap between them and reached up to touch his cheek. 

"Are you sure you want this? I wouldn't want to-"

Ace pressed a finger against his lips. "Love me, Angel. Please. They said you'd make me feel again. I haven't felt that for years, Angel. It's been so very long since I felt that sort of pleasure. Can you help me?"

Of course Hugh would help. He still wasn't sure what he was doing, but he carefully brought him into a kiss. It was Ace who pulled him close and intensified the kiss, chasing the pleasure he'd been without for so long.

"Please help me. I want to feel something, anything, just to remind me I'm still alive," Ace murmured.

"Alright, but I'm going slowly so I don't hurt you. Are you sure you're up for this? I don't - we don't have to do this if you don't want to. I don't want you to feel like we have to have this sort of relationship. We can just be friends," Hugh said.

Ace pressed against his chest, his arms closing around his body. "But Hugh Angel, I can't feel. Just touch me, Angel. Make me feel again. Please," he murmured.

Hugh almost said no, but it couldn't hurt to try, particularly if he went slowly and made sure he kept asking for Ace's permission to keep going. "Alright. I am at your service."

Hugh kissed him before gently leading him over to the bed. Hugh brought him into his arms as they lay down together. Hugh went slowly and carefully, keeping an eye out for any sign of distress from Ace. He hadn't expected Ace would let him get so close so soon, and he didn't want to ruin their relationship just yet.

Asking his permission for every move, just to make sure he was still consenting to his actions, Hugh slowly undressed him, pressing soft kisses to his skin. Ace grasped his collar, guiding him. Hugh discovered that the act of asking permission for everything hit his submissive button like mad. He made a mental note to ask Carl to do that with him one time. Carefully, he covered every inch of his body, introducing himself as he went. As he found his way to his groin, he checked again that it was what Ace wanted. Ace nodded, and Hugh tentatively closed a hand around his cock. 

"How does that feel? Do you want me to keep going?" Hugh asked, glancing up at him. He began stroking slowly, not wanting to panic or rush him, as he tried to make him hard.

Ace let his head fall backwards onto the bed as he let the sensations flow over him. "Oh, God, your wings are touching me, Angel. You-you can go a little faster, if you want."

Hugh went a little faster, as requested, keeping an eye on him. He felt he was barely touching him. He asked permission to run a finger across the slit, just to see what would happen. Ace consented, then gasped at the sensation. Hugh asked to lick him. Ace said yes. Hugh drew his tongue across the slit slowly, pressing down ever so gently. Ace tensed, let out a strangled gasp of pleasure. Hugh asked to repeat the move. Ace begged him to do it again.

As he slid his tongue over the head once more, Ace shuddered, and it took a moment for Hugh to realise he was crying. As soon as Hugh heard him, he stopped immediately, afraid he'd upset him. He wasn't going to keep going if he was upset. He pulled away and sat up. He saw tears streaming down Ace's cheeks. He was scared Ace had changed his mind and suddenly found himself unable to consent to what he was doing. He was Ace's carer; he helped look after him. The last thing Hugh wanted to do was force himself on him. That would do neither of them any good. Ace had enough trauma to deal with without having the added bonus of a carer who had taken advantage of him. 

"Oh, Ace, are you alright? Do you want me to stop? I didn't hurt you, did I?"

Ace swallowed and looked up at him, smiling. "No, it's alright. Hugh. Angel. Listen. I felt something, Angel. I really felt something. I'm not a hollow shell after all," he whispered.

Hugh felt a deep sense of relief. "Oh, that's good. I was afraid I'd gone too far, which was the last thing I wanted to do. I think maybe we should stop for the moment, don't you? I wouldn't want to continue, not if you're upset. But I'm glad you felt something though."

Ace reached for his hand. "Hold me, Angel. Just hold me. Wrap your wings around me, Angel."

Hugh brought him into his arms, holding him gently. He brought the duvet over them to keep him warm. Ace dried his tears on the duvet, cuddling close to him. Hugh wasn't sure what to say, so he just sat there quietly, hoping he hadn't upset him. Ace eventually broke the silence, his soft voice tinged with fear and sadness.

"The day he told me I had schizophrenia was the scariest day of my life. I felt like, that's it, my whole life is over. I'd suspected as much all those years, but I'd always put it down to the drugs. If I could only stop taking 'em, all them voices would go away. I'd be normal again. I had to believe it was the drugs so I could pretend I wasn't going to turn out like me dad. They always said I would, but I never - I never wanted that. But then I finally got clean and it didn't go away. I heard things. I saw things that weren't there. I was still psychotic. Never make yourself go psychotic, Angel. It's terrifying. Like all your worst nightmares come to life, an' they feel real. Can't work out what your own thoughts are. Lost me mind. I still wanted to kill myself. It was only thanks to Charlie's persistence that I finally felt brave enough to bring it up with my therapist. 

"I didn't want a diagnosis. I didn't want to hear it. I wanted to pretend I was normal. It was hard enough to have everyone staring at me, an' I knew they were, I could see 'em, looking at me like I was some sort of freak. I didn't need that as well. I knew what happened to people like that. People who'd been told they had that word. I'd seen 'em when I'd been hospitalised before. I'd seen 'em go mad. People were afraid of 'em. Locked 'em up in padded rooms and medicated them til they were safe, no matter what else it did to them. An' there he was, telling me I had that word too. I was so scared, Hugh. So bloody scared. I was gonna be just like them. End up poor and back on the streets cos I was no good for anything else. End up in some clinic, drugged out of me mind, incapable of looking after meself. Lost in me mind, unable to function. That's all I saw ahead of me. I didn't see any future there for me, just being drugged out of my mind and shut in an institution til I died.

"I know that's not what everyone like me experiences, but I still find it hard to accept. Sometimes I think he's just made it up, as if he might scare me into being normal again. I press me hands over me ears and pretend I can't hear anything. Sing as loud as I like to drown all them voices out. But I see things, y'know? I have voices in me 'ead that no one else can hear. I've been on so many different drugs I can't remember which ones actually work. I don't deal well with withdrawal, I really don't, an' those medications are harsh, Hugh. I don't like 'em, but I know I'm better when I take 'em. Not normal, but better than when I don't. Oh, but then there was the horses, Hugh. Those magical horses. I don't know what was going on with 'em, but man, I was out there, with these horses, an' even though I wasn't on any meds, them horses made me feel better. Magical fucking horses, they were. They made me better. I ain't never felt so normal in me life. I still feel alright. But I know it won't last. I hope the cats help. I need 'em to fight off the madness in me head. Y'know what I called 'em? I called 'em Gabriel and Michael. If they can't help me, no one can. Only Angels help me, y'know. I only trust Angels. Angels will look after me, you know that, right? Only Angels..."

Hugh decided it wasn't his place to reply and just let him speak. He held him close and tried to comfort him, listening to everything he was saying. He lost him a few times; he would sometimes break off mid-sentence and talk about something completely different, something else that had just occurred to him, but Hugh didn't make a show of it. If Ace wanted to talk, he wasn't going to stop him. He wasn't sure Ace could be stopped until he was done anyway, so he just let him talk.

Ace talked about everything. He recalled his childhood and his family. What it was like to be the odd one out in a large family. How his mother had had to do everything because his father was sick and just lay about all day. How he would fight with his brother, with his sisters, with everyone. How he would cling to his crazy father as he tried to find any peace at all in such a crowded, noisy house, even if it meant he might see the same things his dad was seeing. He mourned for the dog he'd befriended one day that only he could see that his mother refused to let him keep.

"I hid, Angel. I hid away from the noise. But they didn't like that. But they never really noticed anyway. I was like my dad, so they never bothered to try. They'd decided my fate, an' I was only a little lad. I could hardly fend for meself. It's hardly fair, is it?"

He remembered being hit and scolded by his mother for forgetting to do things. He couldn't remember if his mother had ever told him she loved him. How he'd prayed so hard to get into a grammar school and the crushing disappointment he'd felt when he found out he'd failed. How everyone kept telling him he was different, and how they kept asking why he couldn't just be normal like everyone else. He'd always been hungry because sometimes he was sure someone was trying to kill him with food. He stole a book from a shop one day on the way home from school because he couldn't afford to buy it and got himself arrested. He'd had to have his mother come and pick him up. He remembered the shame he'd felt as she told them all he was mad and didn't know what he was doing. He felt his mother was ashamed of him. He was insane now, just like his dad. That made it official. He cried all the way home. His fate had been decided, and it seemed there was nothing he could do about it. He cried to the Angels that night, praying to any God that might be listening, to save him from madness. 

"Y'don't know how hard it is being different. They all knew. Always said I was mad. No one liked me. No one wanted to like me. Said I didn't deserve to go to a grammar school anyway. I was no good for anything. Never told them how much that made me cry."

He met a girl in secondary school, his first love, the only girl who'd ever paid him any attention. He'd started smoking, started a band, and played bass guitar. He tried to ignore the paranoia he'd developed as a teenager. He'd ignored the soft whispering voices that appeared when he was too stressed. But then he'd finally made it, like he'd always dreamt of, and then his life became all about music, bands, touring, bad acid trips, and sex. He had not coped well with popularity as they were mobbed by screaming girls. He had done his best, but he hadn't always succeeded.

He talked about how he'd tried to be normal as he tried to live on his own with his new wife. He quickly realised he had no life skills, his mother had done far too much for him, and his wife had not always appreciated taking up the slack. He remembered the increasingly bad hallucinations he kept blaming on acid. He still remembered all the nightmares that plagued his mind and stopped him sleeping. He never slept well. He still didn't sleep that well. All the ridiculously exhausting touring he did with the band that slowly drove him mad. How things had gone so horribly wrong. The nature of his broken soul.

He recounted every day he'd spent out on the streets, one after another, from the demons in the dustbins to the voice that told him when cops were coming. There were days when he had no memory at all about what he'd done. He'd slept in many strange places as he was convinced they were the only safe places left to him. 

"This bloody ledge on a brick wall near Bev's old school. I always wanted to go there, I begged 'em and begged 'em, but they wouldn't let me. Had to get cramped up in there so they couldn't see me. I was moved on an hour later too. Hurt like the blazes."

He talked about all the strange things he'd eaten as he'd tried to stay away from the contaminated food everyone was trying to trick him into eating. There were days when he didn't eat because he was convinced everything was poisoned. Anything that glowed yellow wasn't safe to eat, and he saw it everywhere. Everything was yellow and nothing was safe. The whole world was out to get him, and all he could do was hide away until it was safe to come out again. There were days he had enough money to buy some alcohol at an off-licence and he'd got drunk in an attempt to silence the voices in his head, just for a moment of peace. 

"I got hit by a rainbow once. It was raining an' all these bright colours came at me. I ain't never felt so peaceful. Them voices went silent. I could hear meself think. Coloured with magic rainbow magic. I saw my first Angel then. She was so beautiful. Glowed white with divine light. Her name was Sophie. She poured a rainbow over me 'ead."

There was the day he'd come across some liquid acid and drunk the lot. He spent hours praying, hoping it would blow his mind away so he could get a new one, one that wouldn't send him mad like his dad. The day he'd shared some joints with some of Trevor's old band mates when he'd accidentally wandered into their rehearsals, and lost his mind. He'd drifted off into dreamland and woke beside a canal near Coventry days later. It took him two weeks to find his way back to Birmingham. No one wanted to help a madman.

"I had a wife once. She was real pretty, she was. I liked the way she made me breakfast. Her name was... Her name was Rosalie. Rosemary. Rosebud. Flowerpot. I don't know. She was pregnant, but - I came home one day, before I was on me own, and she- she'd left. Left me a note. I tore it up. She made me sign some papers. I worked so hard to pay for that ring, but she threw it away. She killed the baby. Didn't want it taking after a madman, she said. I think I cried for a month. Maybe two months. I don't know if I've stopped crying yet. Where is she, Hugh? Where did she go? I loved her, Angel. I can't find my flowerpot. Lost forever, like me mind. Lost it years ago. Can't find it."

A suicide attempt brought on by a bad psychotic episode had him admitted to hospital. It had been the second time in three months. All he remembered was staring at the white walls and watching them crumble into a ruinous mess. He was too scared to mention the voices and the hallucinations. He was too afraid to admit they were becoming a serious problem, and not just the effects of too much acid. None of the pills they gave him made them go away. They were just trying to help him with his depression, which Ace thought was bad enough. They kept him in for a week and then he was out on his arse to repeat the same thing all over again. 

He didn't like the psych wards he was sent to. They were frightening places. How he was supposed to get better in there he didn't know. He couldn't relax. He was too scared they were just going to kill him one day and be rid of him. He was scared of everyone. They were the patients who couldn't look after themselves. He didn't want to be one of those. Sometimes he didn't understand why he'd been sent there either. Those days he was convinced he was sane, and that it was the world that was mad. There were other days when he hid away in a corner of his room, terrified of everything around him. 

In a fit of desperation, he had gone back to his family to see if they'd take him in, but they said no. They couldn't cope with two schizophrenics in the same house. Ace vehemently denied this. He wasn't schizophrenic. It was just the drugs. But it did no good. His eldest sister was scared he'd hurt her baby if they let him stay. He swore he never would. He'd never hurt anyone. His mother shooed him out onto the street in front of the neighbours, telling him not to come back. 

It had sent him spiralling into depression again. He'd never felt so worthless in his life. He'd tried to kill himself. He found himself back in hospital again. He was given some more useless drugs for depression that just made him want to die and made the voices more insistent. He was still too scared to mention them. He didn't want to be schizophrenic like his dad. It was just the drugs. That's all it was. He was discharged again. He got himself evicted. He lost his house, lost his things, lost everything. Left starving, poor, and alone, he'd spend his last five quid on some acid and got high and wondered when he would have the courage to kill himself. He was sure he would do it properly this time, and not find his way back into hospital, only to be given those bloody useless pills that just made everything worse.

"I found a knife, Angel. I just stared at the blade. It glowed white like the moon. Voices whispering bloody murder in me 'ead. The Angels tried to comfort me. Longest bloody night of me life, Hugh. I wasn't sure if I'd be alive when morning came."

Hugh wasn't sure how he'd managed to survive at all. He'd had it rough when he'd been homeless, but his experience had been nowhere near as frightening as what Ace was describing. Sure, he'd been drunk a lot, and he'd slept in some weird places too, but he had the comfort of knowing he'd been sane the whole time. He couldn't begin to imagine how it must have been to go through all that in the state Ace had been in. He took in every word Ace said, and just held him close, hoping he was giving him some comfort.

It could've taken an hour, maybe two. Hugh hadn't kept track of time as he was too engrossed in what Ace was saying. Ace seemed unable to stop talking until he'd told Hugh everything, just like he'd done when he'd first come to Carl's house. The kittens found their way into the bedroom eventually, and it took Hugh a while to coax them onto the bed. As soon as Ace saw them, he smiled, and brought them close. Everything would be alright now that his angels were there with him. 

Ace kept talking, Hugh became aware that he appeared to have moved on to quoting fragments of song lyrics, but his voice was getting softer and softer, as if he'd tired himself out with all the talking. He looked like he was close to falling asleep. Hugh was about to tuck him into bed and leave him be, but Ace grasped his arm and told him to stay, desperate to have him close by. They lay down together, duvet pulled tightly around them. The kittens consented to Ace holding them close to his chest, stroking them gently with his fingers. They soon fell asleep, their tiny grey bodies curled into a ball in his hands. Hugh still hadn't said anything. Ace kissed him, softly and sweetly, as he curled up beside him, body trembling with fear.

"I'm never going to be cured, Angel. I'm never going to get better. Please tell me everything's going to be alright. I'm so frightened of everything."

Hugh pressed a soft kiss to his head. He held him close, stroking his arm gently as he tried to comfort him. "It'll be alright, Ace. Your Angel's here now. I'll look after you. I promise, I'm not going anywhere."

Ace smiled and closed his eyes. "Thank you, Angel. Thank you, Angel."

Hugh said nothing, but kept holding him until his body stopped trembling. Ace's fear slowly began to dissipate as he accepted he was safe. He had his Angels with him. He would be alright.

* * *

It was the last day in July. Hugh had woken feeling quite pleased with the world. It was his birthday, for a start, and he'd been allowed to sleep in a couple of hours. There'd be no work that day in celebration. That was also contributing to his good mood. It wasn't that he hated the work, but a day off was a day off, and it was a welcome break from what had, at times, felt like too much of a routine. Still, given some of the work he'd done in the past, he wasn't willing to quibble too much about it. Not living in fear of his life was a welcome change.

The past two weeks had been intense, with lots of hard work, but it had all been ultimately very rewarding. With Carl's instruction, he'd spent the past two weeks learning to care for Ace properly, now that Ace was back. The two of them had become very close. Not so close Ace would leave Trevor's side completely, but that wasn't something Hugh was interested in achieving anyway. Ace seemed to trust him though. Hugh had become very fond of him, and while they hadn't repeated their sexual experiments since that first day, it didn't matter. He didn't want a sexual relationship with Ace anyway; he was happy enough to be friends with him.

Ace had taught him how to read the complicated way he scored music, and they'd played together on a couple of free afternoons, both in Ace's rooms, and down in the music room. Playing his cello again made Hugh feel like life was finally perfect. It felt so good to hold it and bring the music out of it again. He'd missed it so much. Ace was such a creative talent as well, in spite of everything he'd been through. His music had its own idiom, and it's own counter-intuitive time signature, and it took Hugh a while to get used to it. He loved it once he understood it, though. No one else could create music like that.

After he'd got up, Rick wished him a happy birthday as he headed off to shower. Rick reminded him that a grand breakfast was waiting for him once he was done, so he was keen to get down there as soon as possible. He indulged a little though. He spent five extra minutes under the hot steamy water, just because he could. 

Carl was waiting outside for him once he was done. He bowed to him, and offered his arm. Hugh was honoured to be escorted down to breakfast. The house had been decorated, just like it had been for Rick's birthday. They were eating in the formal dining room. When they arrived, Hugh found everyone was there, waiting for them. 

The biggest surprise was seeing Bev there, and it seemed he'd brought Tony Iommi with him. Hugh had not expected that, and it did leave him bereft of thought for a moment as he took that in, though he did know they were old friends. He watched them as they talked quietly to Ace. He still didn't know who Bev's master was, no one had told him, but he didn't let it bother him. Maybe he'd ask later on. He noticed the padlocked chain around Bev's neck. Hugh was sure that was his collar, but he didn't have time to notice anything more as Carl ushered him in to a rousing cheer. 

"Here he is, lads. Here's the birthday boy," Carl said, presenting him to everyone.

There was a rousing cheer, and Hugh grinned at the attention. He didn't feel like the bottom of the pile anymore. It was his day today, and he was going to enjoy every minute of it. He'd had too many birthdays of late spent alone, but he promised himself that was going to end today.

Carl wrapped an arm around his shoulders and brought him close. "Welcome to the old boys club, Hugh. It's about time you grew up." 

"Says you who's nearly forty," Hugh said pointedly. "Still definitely young and virile, me." 

"Young, virile, and still a brat, that's what," Kelly said. "Can we eat yet? I'm famished. I didn't spend hours cooking all that just so I could stare at it."

"Well, you'd better start then. There's still a lot to do today. You'll need your energy," Carl said, inviting them all to sit at the table.

Hugh was more than ready to do so. The grand table was spread with rather a lot of food. Kelly and Roy had been up since five o'clock that morning getting it all prepared, which was half the reason for the later start to the day. There was less of a rush and more time to get ready for the day's celebrations. Everyone took their seat, and once Carl had served himself and Hugh, the rest were allowed to eat.

* * *

It was well past lunch time by the time they were done. The languidly served several course meal had proved more than sufficient and everyone retired to the sitting room to recover. It was there that Hugh saw the coffee table in the middle of the room had been stacked with presents. He had suspected they would be there. Carl had none-too-subtly asked him what he'd like, and he'd given a list of things he'd like to get, relishing the prospect of a birthday party. He hadn't had one for so long, he'd forgotten how exciting they could be.

Carl made a ceremony out of it. Everyone presented him with their presents, one by one, and Hugh was astounded by what he'd been given. He hadn't expected so much. He still felt that Ace's present was the best, though. He'd given him two small ceramic Angel statues with his name on the front of one and Ace's on the other. Now he really was a Hugh Angel. Ace explained that he should keep the Ace one, and he'd keep the Hugh one, so that they'd always be with each other. He promised to keep his by his bedside and pray every night for him so that he was safe and protected. He still wasn't sure exactly how religious he was, but he'd do it for Ace. If it helped, he'd do it.

Carl presented his gift last. When Hugh opened the box to find a brand new collar and a new contract, he wasn't sure he could smile enough. He'd hoped he'd be getting those. Carl had shown him a copy of a new contract, if he was to stay on, and Carl had asked him to read over it and again make sure it was what he wanted. Hugh took it as a clear a sign that Carl planned to offer him a permanent contract, and he was pleased to discover his guess had been correct. Finally, he'd found the Master for him, and a great sense of relief flooded his body. Finally, he had a home. Finally, he could stop searching. After everything he'd been through, he'd finally found a home. He wanted to cry as he took in the gift he'd been given. It was more precious than he could articulate.

"I was going to offer it to you a few days ago, but I thought your birthday was a better day. You've fitted in so well here that the Household wouldn't be the same without you. You've got a good relationship with Kelly, and Ace seems to have taken to you very quickly. Quicker than most, actually. If you're willing to have me as a Master, I'm willing to have you as a submissive," Carl said.

Hugh brushed an errant tear away as he spoke. He came and knelt before Carl, bowing his head respectfully. "Sir, I would like nothing more than to wear your collar for the rest of my life. I never thought such a Household could exist, I never thought I was looking for a Household like this either, but I don't want to leave. I want to be a part of this family for good. It would be a great honour to serve you, Master." 

"Then I propose a collaring ceremony at dusk to formally welcome you into the family. How does that sound?" Carl said.

Hugh's eyes widened in anticipation at the suggestion. "It sounds amazing, sir. I have only ever heard about those. May I make a request, though, sir?" 

"Go ahead. It's your ceremony," Carl said.

"Only, when I think about it, even though you're the Master around here, we all do this to serve Ace, don't we? Doesn't that make him the real Master of the Household? If Ace is willing, could I ask that he collars me, sir, with your permission?" Hugh said.

Carl turned to Ace. "Would you like to do that? Would you be willing to collar him on my behalf?"

"You'd have to help me with the buckle thing, 'm not so good with those, but I can do that, if he wants it. He is my Angel, after all," Ace said.

"Alright, that's settled then. We'll assemble in the garden at dusk. Roy, I'll leave you to prepare him and the summer house. It's free time for the rest of you. Make sure you're in your best dress for the ceremony tonight. It is a formal occasion, after all, and only your best will do," Carl said.

There was a round of rapturous applause. Hugh couldn't stop smiling. He didn't even mind that he had to part with the collar and his contract before the ceremony. He'd be getting them back later anyway.

* * *

Roy led Hugh to the bathrooms and told him to wash and contemplate what he was about to go through. He explained the ritual to him and what it would entail so there weren't any surprises. Roy's description of it sounded quite lovely, and Hugh couldn't wait to see if it was going to be as beautiful as he made it sound. He was also given a copy of the ceremony and told to memorise his responses, though most of them had some scope to add his own words in. He would appreciate the time to think about what it was he wanted to say in those places.

He ran a bath this time, wishing to take his time with it. After washing, he lay back in the water, staring at the ceiling. He felt he was as close to perfection as he was going to get. He had never felt so loved before either. He had finally found the right master to take care of him, and that realisation made him very happy. 

Roy took care of him once he'd left the bath. His hair had grown out quite a bit in three months, and Roy decided it was time to tidy it up again so it was much neater. Roy had brought some shackles, and a long white cloak with him, which Hugh was supposed to wear. Hugh didn't mind either, not once Roy explained the symbolism behind them. They'd spent a lot of time putting this ceremony together. Everything was meaningful. It was clear that this wasn't just a token ceremony. It meant a lot to everyone participating in it, and it proved, to Hugh at least, how seriously they took their relationships and their responsibilities.

Once he was physically clean, Roy doused him with rose water before anointing his body with sage and rosemary oil to purify him and cleanse him of any bad energy. Hugh decided that, even if it was nonsense, it made it feel real. It was enough of a ritual to affect him. His subspace returned as Roy prepared him, and the enormity of what he was going to undergo hit him hard. This was actually happening. In a few hours, he would be an owned submissive.

* * *

Shackled and wearing the cloak, Roy led Hugh down to the dungeon where he was to wait while the ritual was prepared. There was one final smudging of sage, the room filling with the scent. It made everything feel deeply significant, almost religious, and it sent Hugh into subspace harder than he'd expected.

"We'll probably be a while, so don't expect this to be short. It's how the Master does things, so you've got time to back out if you decide you can't do it. Do you want anything while you wait? I'm happy to fetch you anything if you want it," Roy said.

Hugh thought a moment. "Could you get Bev for me? I'd like to talk to him while I'm here. We haven't had enough time to catch up yet."

"Sure, I'll send him down," Roy said.

And with that, Hugh was finally left alone, the door left open. Hugh grabbed a couple of the cushions from the adjoining room and made a seat with one in the middle of the dungeon. Roy had left a copy of his contract with him so he could think on it while he waited, but Hugh didn't bother. He'd read it once more, just to remind himself of what he was about to agree to, and left it by his side. He'd already decided he was willing to sign it. 

He could feel his subspace deepening as he waited. He had noticed the door was open, letting him know he was free to leave if he decided it wasn't for him. Indeed, the key that would unlock the shackles was within reach, and there was enough chain to allow him to free himself, as well as some clean clothes. So many escape clauses were within reach, and he didn't care. He wanted none of them. He sat where he was, thinking about what he was about to go through. Even though Roy had explained it, and he'd read over the ritual itself, it wasn't the same as actually seeing it happen, and if he hadn't been so submissive, he might've been excited about what was about to happen. Bev turned up soon enough, and he came to sit opposite him, grabbing the spare cushion for himself. 

"Hey, so Roy said you wanted to see me, yeah? It's been a while, I know. I'm sorry we haven't talked much either," Bev said.

"No, we haven't had much of a chance to talk, and I just wanted to see to you away from everyone else for once. Like Kelly, you understand things they don't. You were there," Hugh said.

Bev looked at him, confused. "Is this about Jeff? But that was years ago. Surely you've moved on by now."

"No, it's not about Jeff. Not really. There are other times to talk about that mess. But I didn't know you were with Kelly though, you know. I didn't even know you had a Dom. I didn't know you were into this sort of thing at all. Kelly's tried to explain it to me, but I'm still not sure how it's all supposed to work. I'm trying not to get jealous, knowing he loves you too," Hugh said.

Bev brushed his concerns away. "You don't want to get jealous of me. I'm no threat to you and Kelly. Different relationship. Different priorities. And anyway, what I've got with my Dom is very different to what you've got here. We're definitely much more into the physical kink side of things than the D/s approach Carl uses here. But each family is different like that. Much as I love Charlie, and I do love him a lot, he can't give me what I want. He's not the Dom for me. My Dom and I don't want to live this as a fulltime thing anyway. It'd spoil the fun we get from the times we do get to play together. They're all different kinds of relationships, Hugh, none better or worse than any others. I'd wager you'd understand that by now, having lived here for three months."

"I think so. It makes sense in my head. Carl always comes first, but that doesn't mean I love Kelly any less either. And while I'm not in romantic relationships with the rest of the Household, they still count too. I think I'd probably go mad trying to handle proper relationships with all of them though, so I'm happy to keep it to Carl and Kelly. That's enough for now. Kelly was saying that you and your Dom are still part of the family here, even though you don't live here," Hugh said.

Bev nodded. "We've been involved for a long time now. We help when we can. We were lucky we had a free weekend right now or we wouldn't have been able to come. We'll be here a few days this time, so there's time to talk later on if you're interested. I'm glad I'm going to get to see your collaring ceremony. We flew in late last night and I was almost afraid we'd miss it."

"So how long has Carl been planning all this then?" Hugh said, surprised.

"I think he'd been planning your collaring ceremony since the first week you came here. He called me to tell me you'd turned up a few days after you'd arrived. He told me he had a feeling you'd be staying. He's often right about these things. He'll be good to you. I'm sure you'll flourish under his care." 

Hugh smiled. "I'm glad you think so."

"Oh, come on, even I could see Jeff wasn't doing you any good. You were bloody miserable, you were. I was thinking of breaking you up myself if we hadn't sacked you first. I'd apologise for that, but I think we did you a favour." 

Hugh was willing to concede he was right on that point. "I think you did too, though I wouldn't have thought so back then. God, I was such an idiot. I can't believe I let him do that to me. But I'd never have found my way here if he hadn't screwed me over, so I can't complain, not really. This is a much better life. I hope it never ends."

Bev reassured him. "I don't think you're going anywhere, not for a while. Even Ace likes you, and coming from someone who knew him all those years ago, that's a pretty impressive feat in three months. How'd you do it?" 

Hugh shrugged. "I still don't really know. The first night I was here, he snuck into my room and told me I was an Angel sent to save him. Maybe that's why. He's told me everything. I'm still not sure what I did to earn his trust so quickly. I thought it'd take a lot longer than that."

"Well, whatever it was you did, cherish it. He's a good friend," Bev said. "How are you feeling about all this anyway? Nervous? You'll have a new collar soon."

"Bit nervous, but I know this is what I want. This is where I'm supposed to be. Did you ever have a collaring ceremony?" Hugh said.

"No, not a proper one, not like you're getting. Charlie's not my Dom, and my Dom and I didn't feel a need to formalise our relationship like that. But we did have something like that though, where we were welcomed into the family. We were given these rings, see?" Bev showed him the ring that hung around his neck on a thin silver chain underneath the thicker locked chain. "It's not a collar, but it's enough. We belong here, just like you do."

"You know, the more I think about it, the more I'm not surprised you've all come together like this. It's an honour to be a part of this family, it really is. I never thought I'd be a part of something so wonderful," Hugh said.

"Did Roy explain the outfit yet?" Bev said.

"Yeah, he did. It's all so religious. Least it seems that way to me. But I don't mind. I actually quite like it. Feels proper, you know? Like it's not just some frivolous thing," Hugh said. "There are so many escape clauses, but I don't want any of them. How long do you think it'll be before it starts?"

Bev checked his watch. "A few hours, I think. It won't start til dusk. You've got a fair wait ahead of you. I wouldn't leave here though. What I do know is that being in here right before that collaring ceremony really helped me get into the right frame of mind, even though I wasn't becoming Carl's sub. This is the beginning of a new life. You might not get to feel like this again."

"Oh, trust me, I don't think I'm going to forget this day for the rest of my life," Hugh said.

Bev didn't stay much longer, but Hugh didn't mind. He'd have time to talk to him again and let him go. The dungeon felt lonelier without him there, but he was glad for the space. He had time to settle himself. He had a lot to think about, even though it wasn't something he had doubts about. Bev was right, this was the start of a new life, and that was a profoundly amazing feeling. 

He read the contract again, familiarising himself with the conditions it contained. He read over the ritual again, too, just to make sure he knew what was going to happen and what he had to say. Then he sat quietly, attempting to meditate and sink into subspace again. He wasn't wearing a collar, and that felt strange. He'd rarely experienced subspace without a collar to reinforce a master's authority. Hugh took it as a sign his submission had gone beyond the physical presence of a collar. It was imbued into his body. Not even Jeff had managed that. He saw it as a sign of Carl's skill as a Dom, that he could make his submission so natural and instinctive. He couldn't wait to accept his collar.

* * *

Hugh felt a huge relief when Trevor finally came to get him. He told him to follow, and Hugh obeyed. They headed through the house and out to the garden. Kelly was waiting for them, and they were both dressed in their finest fetish gear. Hugh was glad it was still summer and the air wasn't so unbearably cold. The last thing to be done to him was blindfold him. With flaming torches in each hand, they escorted Hugh down the path towards the summer house where everyone else was gathered. 

Hugh walked as best he could, using Trevor and Kelly for support. When they finally stopped, Hugh found himself alone, and someone removed the blindfold. Hugh looked up to see Carl standing there in his best leather, standing on the steps of the summer house. Hugh was quite sure he'd never looked so magnificent before. Looking beyond him, Hugh could see everyone was gathered inside, which had been rearranged so the furniture didn't get in the way. 

Carl took his hands and brought him into the summer house. Hugh found himself in the middle of the room, with the rest making a circle around him. Seeing Tony and Bev together, and what they were wearing, Hugh finally understood their relationship. He was surprised he hadn't realised it sooner. It was painfully obvious now that it was staring him in the face. 

"We meet here on neutral ground. Here, we can come together as equals. Two free men coming to make a commitment to each other. May I present the submissive Hugh McDowell, who comes here to accept the collar of Master Carl and become part of our family. He came to us, blind to our way of life, but Master Carl has opened his eyes and shown him the way. He stands before us, naked, to show he hides nothing from us. The white symbolises his purity. He is willingly bound to show his commitment to submission. He comes to submission willingly and accepts Master Carl's authority," Roy said.

"Kneel. Bow your head. Do you accept me as your Master?" Carl said.

Hugh knelt and bowed his head, keeping his eyes at the ground. Now was the time to remember his lines. "Yes, sir, I accept you as my Master."

Carl walked around him, a soft leather flogger in one hand. He removed the cloak and set it aside. He both caressed and gently whipped his back as he walked around him. The sensations were not unpleasant, but Hugh could feel the sting in the flogger as it hit his back. 

"Are you willing to submit to me and obey me, and accept any punishment if you don't? I can be cruel and kind, my touch gentle or harsh. Will you accept the good with the bad, and do your best to live up to the responsibilities that come with my collar?" Carl said.

"Yes, sir, I am willing to obey, and accept your punishment when I have disobeyed you," Hugh replied. 

Carl came round to face him, the collar held in his hands. "I offer you this collar as a sign of my love for you. It is a reminder that you belong to me, and that it comes with the responsibility to take care of you. To love and protect you, to respect and teach and guide you. For you, it is a reminder that you are bound to me, and that you have vowed to obey me. It is a reminder that my authority is always there, even when I am not present. I give this collar to you, and I expect you to take care of it. It does not belong to you, you are only its caretaker. You are a reflection of my teaching, and you must live up to all that entails. This is not something to undertake lightly. Have you taken the time to contemplate such a commitment? Do you feel you can willingly and knowingly consent to this relationship as a free man?"

"Yes, sir, I have thought long and hard about such a commitment. I willingly and knowingly give up my freedom to you. Once I leave the summer house, I will be bound to you. All this I consent to," Hugh said.

"Then I willingly and knowingly accept you as my submissive, and all responsibility for your wellbeing and education. I will care for you and protect you as long as our relationship lasts," Carl said.

Roy brought Hugh to his feet and handed him a small lit candle. Hugh saw that Carl had one too. Stepping aside, Hugh could now see the table between them that had a large pillar candle on it. 

"Light it together. Watch the flame grow as your love for each other will grow. Feel the fire burning within you as a reminder of your love, even when you are apart," Roy said.

Watching Carl, he moved forward and they lit the candle together. Carl reached for his hand, and Hugh could feel how happy he was. Roy removed the shackles, freeing Hugh's wrists. Hugh was moved in beside Carl as they all formed a circle. Roy bound everyone's hands together with red rope.

"By accepting my collar, you are now one of us. We are your family, you are part of our family. We love, respect and support each other in everything we do. Does the rest of the family also accept Hugh as part of the family? To love, respect, and support him, for as long as he serves under me?" Carl said.

There was a chorus of support, and Hugh smiled. He finally felt like he belonged here. He wasn't an outsider anymore, not by a long shot. The summer house was filled with people, his new family, and he couldn't help smiling. He might not see Bev and Tony very often, but he didn't mind. He would have the rest of them there, and that would be enough. The circle seemed to close in until there was no space between them. Hugh was bound to them all now, and he couldn't have articulated what he was feeling if he'd been asked. He was complete. 

Carl turned to Hugh as he spoke. "Hugh, you know why this family exists. You said as much before, that Ace is the true Master of this household, as we all live to serve him. We are bound to him, and he to us. We are all his Angels. As you requested, Ace will now collar you on my behalf. Accept this gift, and the responsibility it carries with it. Remember why you are here." 

The rope was gathered up, and their hands freed. Ace took the collar from the table and unbuckled it. Hugh knelt in the centre of the circle without being asked. Ace knelt before him as he secured the collar around his neck. Hugh did have to help buckling it up, but he didn't mind. Ace gave him a soft kiss on his cheek and hugged him tight.

"I knew you'd stay, I just knew it. I've got my Angel with me forever now," Ace murmured.

"Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere, Ace. Your Angel's staying here for good," Hugh murmured back.

Ace kissed him again, and pulled him to his feet. Hugh loved the feel of his new collar, and he could barely contain his joy. 

"I ask Master Carl and submissive Hugh to come and sign his new contract, and be formally welcomed into the family," Roy said.

Hugh followed Carl over to the table to sign the new contract. Carl made him read it over one last time, and once satisfied, Hugh signed his name. Once Carl had signed it, and Roy and Rick witnessed it, it was done. The contract was sealed with red wax. Hugh now belonged to a master, and he couldn't have been happier. 

Roy took the large lit candle and offered it to Hugh, finishing off the ceremony. "Take the candle as a reminder of this night. Light it every year on this day to remind yourself of your vows. Light it whenever you feel the darkness creeping in. The flame is the love of our Master that burns forever in our hearts. It is done. Welcome to the family, Hugh." 

There was applause and cheering, and Carl brought him into a kiss as he greeted him. Carl formally introduced him to everyone, and they all greeted him with a kiss as well. The last thing Roy did was extinguish the candle they'd lit together and handed it to him. It was done. Leaving the summer house to be tidied up later, they proceeded to the dungeon to celebrate. Hugh would never forget the perfection of that night as long as he lived.


End file.
